L4 Cece © 3 & SOM Ce Cc GRC OE CE ees ‘ee ice ag Soe « , es Pes Sra ( COR aS : NaS x Ee CER Sects pe Za 66 = CCRC CRC. re poe SS 2 ss ; i) a C I REE OL GE HOC CES a et 5 a Ce COE: we ia . A Lhe awe 5 "haste ees « ti SE g : Pan ea x ke EO EKG ee Ce iS & P a < = pa sao ( a Z, eas é ae ALPHABETICAL LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS. Apams, LIoNEL E. Grey Seal (Halicherus gryphus) at the Isle of Man, 131 Aputin, O. V., F.L.S., M.B.O.U. Notes on the birds of Belgium, 149 ; Blackbird and ivy-seeds, 267; Black-breasted Partridges, 270; Cirl Bunting in Carnarvonshire, 322; Notes on the Ornithology of Oxfordshire (1896-98), 433 ARCHIBALD, CHARLES F’, Food of the Kel, 558 ARNOLD, E. C. Icterine Warbler and Buff-breasted Sandpiper in Norfolk, 475 Austen, H. H. Gopwin-, Lieut.-Col. Observations on the habits of a Cuckoo during the breeding sea- son, 135 BaAnkKEs, A. Nesting habits of the Moor-hen, 82 BARTLETT, EDWARD How does the new-born Kangaroo get into the mother’s pouch? 368 BaYuis, E. Avocet in Dorset, 82 Briaae, E. W. H. Variation in Cuckoos’ eggs, 223 BRADSHAW, GEORGE W. Notes from Reading (1898), 136 Brown, J. A. HARVIE- Songs of birds affected by weather, 225 BucKNILL, JoHN A. Nesting of the Common Snipe (Gal- linago ccelestis) near London, 225 Peron, A. G., Ph.D., F.L.8., F.Z.8. A stray visitor to Kent, 221; Avi- culture and its scientific status, 273; The colour of the iris in the Jay, 477; Chiffchaff building on the top of small yew and box trees, 517 But LER, EH. A., Lieut.-Col. Black-game in Suffolk, 557 BUTTERFIELD, EK. P. Hawfinches near Bradford, 321; Economy of the Cuckoo, 322; Arrival of spring migrants in Yorkshire, 323; Is the Whinchat a mimic ? 369; Arrivals of Spot- ted Flycatcher and Nightjar, 369; The delinquencies of Starlings, 370; Abundance of the Song- Thrush near Bradford, 554 BUTTERFIELD, W. RUSKIN The Serotine (Vespertilio serotinus) near Hastings, 266 CARTER, THOMAS Notes from Point Cloates, North- west Australia (December, 1898), 139; Corrections to notes from North-west Australia, 371 CHAMBERLAIN, WALTER Longevity of the Red-headed Car- dinal, 275 CHARBONNIER, H. J, Some interesting variations in the plumage of certain birds, 188 CLARKE, W. G. Karly Man in Britain—spurious flint implements, 18 CLARKE, W. J. Great Grey Shrike at Scarborough, 80; Late stay of Land-Rail, 81; Iceland Gull at Scarborough, 84; White Stoat, 131 Copurn, F. Early appearance of Chiffchaff in Warwickshire, and late stay of Whitethroat, 132 CoomsgE, Percy E. The Grey Seal on the coast of Sussex, 320 CorsBin, G. B. Nesting habits of the Moor-hen, 81 ; Variety of the Song-Thrush in b vl CONTENTS. the New Forest, 417; Swallows and Hobbies, 517 CorpEAvx, JOHN, F.R.G.S., M.B.0.U. Early spring migrations, 195 Cowarp, T. A. Leisler’s Bat in Cheshire, 266; Birds of Cheshire, 518 CrawsHay, WILLIAM T. White Wagtails in Co. Cork, 418 DavEnport, H. 58. Original sketches of British birds, 1, 198, 506; Songs of birds affected by weather, 183 Daviss, BASIL Fecundity in birds, 86; Fecundity in each avine species varying according to accidents of locality, 164 DELVES, WILLIAM White eggs of Redbreast (Hrithacus rubecula), 221 Distant, W. L. Notes on gigantic specimens of the Eagle Ray or Devil-fish, 146 ; The Meer-Kat, 179; White eggs of Redbreast, 221; Cape Monitor, 226; Biological suggestions— Mimicry, 289, 341, 443, 529; ‘‘A proposed ‘correction,’ 872; The ‘‘ Sea-Elephant”’ (Macrorhinus elephantinus), 385; Memoir of John Cordeaux, 415; Cape Scops Owl (Scops capensis) in captivity, 420 Dutuiz, W. H. M. Toad in nest of Titlark, 87 Ewuiott, J. STEELE- Great Grey Shrike in Warwick- shire, 79; Early appearance of Chiffchaff in Warwickshire, 134 ; Common Crossbill in Worcester- shire, 222 Farman, Last C. Notes from the Haddiscoe Marshes (Norfolk), 366 { Mus. Finn, F., B.A., F.Z.8., Dep. Sup. Ind. Swifts fighting, 418; Is the Whin- chat a mimic? 475 Fitcu, Epwarp A., F.L.S., F.E.S. Gattoruginous Blenny in Essex, 326 Fow Ler, W. WARDE, M.A. Regularity of the Greenfinch in beginning his song, 135; Thrush’s nest piled up with ivy-berries, 320; Songs of birds affected by temperature, 324; Swallows and ‘Hobbies, 476 Fox, W. Storrs, M.A., F.Z.8. Varying fecundity in birds, 23; Nesting habits of the Moor-hen, 31; The coloration of British birds and their eggs, 168; The delinquencies of Starlings, 268 FRIEND, Rev. HILDERIC New British Annelids, 262 GODFREY, ROBERT Is the Whinchat a mimic ? 267 GRABHAM, Ox ey, M.A., M.B.O.U. Food of Grebes, 32; Polecats in Wales, 79; White Stoat, 79; Some habits of Bats, 1381; Albino Squirrel in Wiltshire, 1382; Ab- normal nesting-sites of the Wil- low Wren, 555 GRAVES, F. 8. Notes on Shetland birds, 72 GuRNEY, J. H., F.L.S., F.Z.8. Ornithological record from Norfolk for 1898, 113 HaAaGNneER, ALWIN C. Habitat of the Thick-tailed Mun- goose (Cynictis penicillata), 179 ; Note on the Cape Monitor (Va- ranus albigularis), 226,421; Cape Scops Owl (Scops capensis) in captivity, 420; The Suricate in the Transvaal, 516 Haieu, G. H. Caton Flamingo in Merionethshire, 29 HartTert, lirnst, Dir. Z. Mus. Tring On the first primary in Passerine birds, 129 Heapiey, ALEC GOLDNEY Scoters in South Hants (?), 30 HorsBRUGH, CHARLES BETHUNE Curious variety of the Green Wood- pecker, 419; Great Wood-boring Boe (Sirex gigas) in Ireland, 2 Howarp, H. E. Notes on some birds from North Worcestershire, 259; Ornitho- logical notes from the north- west of Ireland, 481 [F.L.S. JONES, K. Hurustone, M.B., R.N., The eggs and nest of the Moor-hen, 182; Albino of the Beaver, 267; Curlew (Numenius arquata) at ‘sea, 419; Vanessa atalanta twen- ty miles from land, 422; The Storm Petrel (Procellaria pela- gica) flying at light, 557 JOURDAIN, Francis C. R. Breeding of ‘the Tufted Duck in south-west: Derbyshire, 476 CONTENTS. LANGDALE, Rev. H. MARMADUKE Scotersin Hants and Isle of Wight, 80 LEwis, STANLEY eet ce Crosebille ni Yeovil. Som. | erset, 27; Nesting habits of the Moorhen, 80; Male Blackbird storing seeds at nest, 181; Star- lings nesting in fir trees, 370; Abnormal nesting place of Spot- ted Flycatcher, 556; The Moor- hen (Gallinula chloropus) nesting in trees, 557 Mackay, Sergeant Hucu Ornithological notes from Malta, 254 MacrHERSON, Rev. H. A., M.A. Blue-headed Wagtail in Cumber- land, 267 ; Distribution of a pri- vate collection, 420; Hobby in Westmoreland, 556 Marspen, H. W. White Stoat, 179; Destruction of Norfolk birds—a rejoinder, 188 ; Grey Phalarope in Co. Armagh, Ireland, 477 Martin, Basin W. Nesting habits of the Moor-hen, 82 MEIKLEJouN, A. H. Appearance of the Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopus ma- jor) in Yorkshire, 322 Mivuar, ALFRED D. Zoological notes from Natal, 145 Monk, J. L. On the spawning of Bombinator pachypus after two years of cap- tivity in England, 513 Monro, H. C. The covering of eggs by nesting birds, 183 NEtson, T. H. Large clutch of Wheatear’s eggs, 321; Birds of Cheshire, 518 NEwstTEAD, RosBert, F.E.S. Crossbill in North Wales, 28 Nose, HEeAtLy *‘Chaffinch building on the top of small yew and box trees,’’ 555 Opp1, Count Errore ARRIGONI DEGLI The nesting of the Black Kite (Mil- vus migrans) in the territory of Verona, 241 OLDHAM, CHARLES Climbing powers of the Long-tailed Field Mouse, 27; Whiskered Bat (Myotis mystacinus) in captivity, | 49; Pied Flycatcher in North ! | | vil Wales, 134; The mode in which Bats secure their prey, 471; Death of a Whiskered Bat by mis- adventure, 475; Birds of Che- shire, 518 PaRANA, Baron de Zebra-horse hybrids, 180 PATTERSON, ARTHUR Spoonbills near Great Yarmouth, 270; Notes from Great Yar- mouth (Pisces), 272; Anchovy at Yarmouth, 558 PENTLAND, G. H. Nesting of the Mistle-Thrush, 180 ; Blackbird’s mimicking notes, 181; Crossbill in North Wales, 182; Little Tern (Sterna minuta) in Ireland, 182; Great Wood- boring Wasp (Sirex gigas) in Ireland, 184 PorHam, H. LEYBoRNE Colour of the bill of the Grey Lag- goose, 224; Pelamid in Cornwall, 421 Potter, E. G. A habit of the Roseate Tern, 83 Pricr, Davip T. Winter occurrence of Wheatear, 132 RAtrFE, P. Terns in the Isle of Man, 32; Notes on Shetland birds, 72 RamspotuHam, R. H. Russian Partridges, 224 RENSHAW, GRAHAM Nesting habits of the Moor-hen, 80; Cirl Bunting (Emberiza cirlus) in North Cheshire, 222; Notes on the zoological collections of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and Ant- werp, 318; Cirl Bunting probably often overlooked, 418 Rey, Dr. E. What is the reason of the great variation in Cuckoos’ eggs ? 176 RiIpspDALE, EK. L. J. A proposed correction, 372 RIVIERE, BERNARD B. Fecundity in birds, 137 Ropg, G. T. Observations on the Common Toad (Bufo vulgaris), 97; Helix car- tusiana in Suffolk, 143 Ross, ALEXANDER Strange nest of a South African Bush Shrike, 80 Rout, W. BARRETT How does the new-born Kangaroo get into the mother’s pouch? 368 62 Vill RussELL, HAROLD Birds in Kensington Gardens in 1897-8, 84 DALIHR, J. ED. Se. Ornithological notes from Northern Norway, 54 SCHREINER, 8S. C. CRONWRIGHT- The Trek-Bokke (Gazella euchore of the Cape Colony, 213 SELOUS, EDMUND An observational diary of the habits of Nightjars (Caprimulgus euro- peus), mostly of a sitting pair, notes taken at time and on spot, 388, 486 SERVICE, ROBERT An albino of the Beaver (Castor canadensis), 220 SLADE, FRANK Green Woodpecker near London, 518 SMALL, L. A monstrous Dinosaur, 87 SOUTHWELL, THomas, F.Z.S. Nesting of the Goshawk in York- shire, 28; Little Bustard and Great Shearwater at Lowestoft, | 31; Notes on the Seal and Whale | Fishery (1898), 108 STEAD, Davip G. A ramble near Sydney, 407 SwAInson, Capt. HE. A. The Grasshopper Warbler in Bre- | conshire, 221 TANNER, CHARLES H. J. The Cape Monitor, 272 Terry, F. W. A Viper feeding in confinement, 518; Viper killed by a Mouse, 519 CONTENTS. TROLLOPE, Miss C. The haunt of the Ring Ouzel (Tur- dus torquatus), 403 Tuck, Rev. JuLian G., M.A. Cuckoos’ eggs in nest of Red-backed Shrike, 223, 823; Seals in the Wash, 417; Demoiselle Crane on the Norfolk coast, 419 UssHeEr, R. J. Green Woodpecker in Ireland— correction, 181 WARD, ROWLAND Grey Plover in summer plumage in Yorks, 419 WARNER, H. W. The vertebrates of Berkshire, 143 WARREN, ROBERT Ornithological notes from North- western Ireland, 364 WESTELL, W. PERCIVALL- Scoters in Hants ? 80 WHITAKER, J. Tree Creeper nesting in roof, 556; Notes from Rainworth, 557 WILLIAMS, GEORGE . Observations on the habits of a Cuc- koo during breeding season, 1385 WILSon, WILLIAM Heavy death-rate of Lapwings, 225; Abnormal occurrence of the Pied Wagtail (Motacilla lugubris) through the winter in Aberdeen- shire, 268; Ornithological notes from Aberdeen, 271; Peculiar conduct of the Woodcock (Scolo- pax rusticula), 370; Aiding a young Cuckoo, 3871; Sky-Lark singing in October, 517 | Youne, J. Rooks in West-End of London, 3870 NeEw SPECIES OF BRITISH ANIMALS DESCRIBED IN THIS VOLUME. VERMES. Fridericia magna, Friend (Cumberland), p. 262. Enchytreus pellucidus, Friend (Lancashire), p. 264. CONTENTS. 1X ALPHABETICAL LIST OF SUBJECTS. Aberdeen, new Regius Prof. of Natural History, 236; ornithological notes from, 271 Abraxas grossulariata, 541 Accentor modularis, 61, 157, 161 Accipiter nisus, 460 Achetidz, 301 Acipenser sturio, 317 Acipenseride, 347 Acrocephalus palustris ?, 161; phrag- mites, 157; streperus, 155, 156; turdoides, 155, 161 Addax nasomaculatus, 318 Aigialitis hiaticula, 67, 74, 160 Aigotheles leucogaster, 140 African, South, beetles, 237; list of | birds, 478 ; fauna, 478, 559 Ageronia, 532; feronica, 350 Agrotis ashworthii, 539; cursoria, 310 — Ajuga chamepitys, 446 Alauda arvensis, 73, 159, 1638, 271, 517; cristata, 163 Albino Stoat, 79,179; Squirrel, 132; Beaver, 220, 267; eggs of Red- breast, 221 Alca impennis, 382 ; Alcedo ispida, 160 Alcide, 174, 175 Altai Mountains, Zoology and Botany of, 334 Amiidee, 304 Amsterdam, 316 Anarrhichas lupus, 317 Anas boscas, 70, 73 ; intermedia, 128; punctata, 142; superciliosa, 139 Anchorella uncinata, 344 Anchovy at Great Yarmouth, 558 Animals, wild, our obligations to, 480 Annelids, new British, 262 Anser cinereus, 70, 224 Antelope protecting its young, 146 Anthropopithecus niger, 316 Anthus obscurus, 72; obscurus ru- pestris, 61; pratensis, 61, 72, 87; trivialis, 158, 162 Ants in Ceylon, 144 Antwerp zoological collection, 318 Apteryx mantelli, 317; oweni, 317 Araschnia, 460 tg Archeopteryx, 295, 297 torda, 68, 76 zoological collections, Ardea cinerea, 247; garzetta, 171; goliath, 217; purpurea, 247 Ardeola ralloides, 247 Ardetta involucris, 542 Arsilonche venosa, 539 Asio accipitrinus, 78, 115; america- nus, 544 Aspro vulgaris, 469 Astur palumbarius, 28 Athene noctua, 160 Auk, Great, sale of egg, 382 Australia, South, destruction of birds in, 46; North-West, corrections to notes from, 371 Australian Ornithology (1898), 383 Aviculture and its scientific status, 273 Avocet in Dorset, 32 Badgers and Foxes, 191 Bat, Leisler’s, in Cheshire, 266; Sero- tine, near Hastings, 266; Whisk- ered, in captivity, 49,—death by misadventure, 475 Bats, some habits of, 181; the mode in which their prey is secured, 471 Beaver, albino, 220, 267 Bee-eater in Malta, 255, 257 Beetles, South African, 237 Belgium, notes on the birds of, 149 Bill of Grey Lag-Goose, colour of, 224 Biological scholasticism, 332; sug- gestions—mimicry, 289, 341, 446, 529 Bird-life, some peculiarities of the season in, 271 Bird, stray, in Kent, 221 Birds, British, original sketches of, 1, 198, 506; varying fecundity in, 23, 86, 137, 164; song, and storms, 43; destruction of, in 8. Australia, 46,—in Norfolk, 83; of Shetland, notes on, 72; in Kensington Gar- dens, 84; and their eggs, coloration of, 108, 168; Passerine, on first primary in, 129; songs of, affected by weather, 135, 183, 225, 324; variations in plumage of certain, 138; of Belgium, notes on, 149; nesting, covering of eggs by, 183; of Cheshire, 518 xX CONTENTS. Birds’ Protection Society, 92, 192 Bittern, Common, in Malta, 255, 256 Blackbird, male, storing seeds at nest, 181; mimicking notes of, 181; in Malta, 257; and ivy-seeds, 267 Black-game in Suffolk, 557 Blattidz, 301; regeneration of legs, 45 Blennius gattorugine, 273, 326 Blenny, Gattoruginous, at Great Yar- mouth, 273; in Essex, 326 Bombinator igneus, 100; pachypus, 318,—spawning, after two years of captivity in England, 513 Booxs NoriceD :— Colour in Nature—a Study in Bi- ology, by Marion J. Newbigin, 33 Flashlights on Nature, by Grant Allen, 35 Animals of To-day, their Life and Conversation, by C. J. Cornish, 36 Catalogue of the Syntomide in the Collections of the British Mu- seum, by Sir G. F. Hampson, 37 The Last Link, by Ernst Haeckel and Hans Gadow, 89 Zoological Results based on Ma- terial from New Britain, New Guinea, Loyalty Islands, and elsewhere, collected by Arthur Willey, 90 Wild Life at Home: How to Study and Photograph it, by R. Kear- ton, 91 The Fishes of North and Middle America: a Descriptive Catalogue of the species of Fish-like Verte- brates found in the Waters of North America north of the Isthmus of Panama, by D. S. Jordan and B. W. Evermann, 93 Fossil Meduse, by Charles Doolittle Walcott, 93 Birds of the British Isles, drawn and described by John Duncan, 94 In the Australian Bush and on the Coast of the Coral Sea, being the Experiences and Observations of a Naturalist in Australia, New Guinea, and the Moluccas, by Richard Semon, 185 Cambridge Natural History: Birds, by A. H. Evans, 186; Insects, by David Sharp, 425 The Resources of the Sea, as shown in the Scientific Experiments to test the effect of Trawling and of the Closure of certain Areas of the Scottish Shores, by W. C. McIntosh, 188 Des Hybrides 4 l'état sauvage— Régne Animal (Classe des Oise- aux), par André Suchetet, 189 A Dictionary of Bird Notes, to which is appended a Glossary of Popular, Local, and Old-fashion- ed Synonyms of British Birds, by Charles Louis Hett, 190 The Foundations of Zoology, by Wm. Keith Brooks, 227 The Penycuik Experiments, by J. C. Ewart, 229 Wild Animals I have Known, by Ernest Seton Thompson, 230 Report of Ob:ervations of Injurious Insects and Common Farm Pests during 1897 and 1898, by Eleanor A. Ormerod, 231 A Text-Book of Agricultural Zo- ology, by Fred F. Theobald, 282 The Geography of Mammals, by William Lutley Sclater and Philip Lutley Sclater, 276 , Outlines of Vertebrate Palzeonto- logy for Students of Zoology, by Arthur Smith Woodward, 277 Report of U.S. Department of Ag- riculture (1898), 44; Year-Book (1898), 283 New Zealand Moths and Butter- flies, by G. V. Hudson, 278 Transactions of the South African Philosophical Society, 286 Alfalfa, Grasshoppers, Bees—their relationships, by 8. J. Hunter, 287 Proceedings of the Fourth Inter- national Congress of Zoology, 327 An Illustrated Manual of British Birds, by Howard Saunders, 328 Bird-life in a Southern County, being Hight Years’ Gleanings among the Birds of Devonshire, by Charles Dixon, 329 Sport in East Central Africa, being an Account of Hunting Trips in Portuguese and other Districts of East Central Africa, by F. Vaughan Kirby, 3830 Darwinism and Lamarckism, Old and New, by Frederick Wollaston Hutton, 373 Insects, their Structure and Life— a Primer of Entomology, by Geo. H, Carpenter, 374 CONTENTS. The House Sparrow (the Avian Rat) in relation to Agriculture and Gardening, with Practical Suggestions for Lessening its Numbers, by W. B. Tegetmeier, 375 A List of British Birds belonging to the Humber District (having a special reference to their Migra- tions), by John Cordeaux, 375 Faune de France, contenant la de- scription de toutes les espéces indigénes disposées en tableaux analytiques et illustrée de figures représentant les types caractéris- tiques des genres et des sous- genres, par A. Acloque, Préface de Kd. Perrier, 376 Cries and Call-Notes of Wild Birds, by C. A. Witchell, 376 All about Birds, by W. Percival- Westell, 377 The Fauna of Shropshire, by H. Edward Forrest, 423 The Birds of Breconshire, by E. Cambridge Phillips, 424 Lancashire Sea Fisheries, by Chas. L. Jackson, 426 A Handy Book of Fishery Manage- ment, by J. W. Willis Bund, 427 Bird-life in an Arctic Spring, 428 Nature Novitates, 479 A Dictionary of Birds, by Alfred Newton, assisted by Hans Ga- dow, with contributions from R. Lydekker, C. 8. Roy, and R. W. Shufeldt, 520 Man, Past and Present, by A. H. Keane, 521 The Distribution of the Negritos in the Philippine Islands and Else- where, by A. B. Meyer, 523 The Natural History of Selborne, by Gilbert White, edited, with notes, by Grant Allen, 523 The North American Slime-Moulds, by Thomas H. Macbride, 524 Bird Stuffing and Mounting, 525 Bos americanus, 316, 318; bonassus, 316, 318; depressicornis, 316 Botaurus minutus, 542; stellaris, 542 Bot-Fly, damage caused by, 336 Brachioptilon hamiltoni, 146 Brachydices, 301 Brachypternus aurantius, 419 Bradyornis silens, 80 Breeding of Tufted Duck in South- west Derbyshire, 476 | | xl Bryozoa, 536 Bubalus pumilus, 318 Bufo calamita, 87, 318; vulgaris, 97,98 Bunting, Cirl, in North Cheshire, 222; in Carnarvonshire, 322; pro- bably often overlooked, 418 Bustard, Little, at Lowestoft, 31 Buteo lagopus, 557; vulgaris, 160, 241, 247, 250 Caccabis saxatilis, 177 Cacomantis pallidus, 141 Calidris arenaria, 140, 142 Caligus curtus, 344; miilleri, 344 Callista fastuosa, 325 Camelus bactrianus, 306 Campephaga leucomela, 140 Camponotus ebeninus (foveolatus), 452; lateralis, 452 Canchroma cochlearia, 317 Canis niger, 318; pallipes, 552; vul- pes, 192 Caprellide, 290 Caprimulgus europeus, 369, 388, 406 Capsella bursa-pastoris, 348 Capside, 357 Carabus stenocephalus, 310 Cardinal, Red-headed, longevity of, 275 Caspian and Baltic Seas, comparison of faunas, 528 Castor canadensis, 220, 267 Casuarius bennetti, 543 Catastomide, 304 Catharista atra, 317 Cats in London, 78 Cattle, White, their origin and his- tory, 41 ; the Chartley, 333 Caulerpa, 464 Ceraloptera vampyrus, 146 Ceratobasis robertsii, 146 Ceratobatrachus guentheri, 542 Cercoleptes caudivolvulus, 448 Cercopithecus brazzex, 318 Certhia familiaris, 157, 556 Cerura furcula, 538; venula, 468 Cervicapra arundinum, 146 Chetophorus cretiferus, 538 Charadrius morinellus, 169 ; orien- talis, 142; pluvialis, 66, 74 Chartley White Cattle, 333 Chelidon urbica, 158, 162 Chelys fimbriata, 450 Cheshire, birds of, 518 Chiffchaff, early appearance in War. wickshire, 132, 134; building on small yew and box trees, 517, 555 Chironomus, 352 Xll CONTENTS. Chlenopagurus andersoni, 526 Cheerocampa elpenor, 453; porcellus, 4538 Choriotis australis, 140 Cicadidx, 351 Circus eruginosus, 115, 250; cinera- ceus,115; cyaneus, 250; jardinii, 141 Cirratulus, 462 Cirrepidesmus asiaticus, 142 Cladocora czspitosa, 457, 458 Clangula glaucion, 73 Clavarie, 463 Clupea sprattus, 238, 239 Coceyzus americanus, 178; ery- throphthalmus, 178 Collection, private, distribution of a, 420 Collyriocincla rufiventris, 140 Colobus occidentalis, 449 Coloration of British birds and their eges, 168 Columba livia, 74, 160; cenas, 160 ; palumbus, 86, 160, 163 Colymbus arcticus, 69; septentrion- alis, 69, 77 Commensalism, Hermit-Crab and Sea-Anemone, 526 Congress, ornithological, in Bosnia, 431 Connochetes taurina, 316, 318 Coracias indica, 419 Cordeaux, John, memoir of, 415 Coregonus artedi, 304 Correction, a proposed, 372 Corvus australis, 408; corax, 64, 73, 247; cornix, 64, 73, 247; corone, 85, 159, 163; frugilegus, 85, 370; monecula, 85; monedula, 159, 163 Cotile riparia, 85, 158, 271 Cottus gobio, 3852; scorpius var. erenlandicus, 273 Coturnis communis, 160 County REcorDs :— Berkshire — Notes, 186; Verte- brates, 133 Cheshire — Long-tailed Field Mouse, 27; Cirl Bunting, 222, 418; Leisler’s Bat, 266; Whis- kered Bat, 475; Birds of Che- shire, 518 Cornwall—Pelamid, 421 Cumberland — Blue-headed Wag- tail, 267 Derbyshire — Moorhen, 81; Star- lings, 268; Tufted Duck, 476 Dorsetshire—Avocet, 32 Fissex — Gattoruginous Blenny, 326; Bombinator pachypus, 513 Gloucestershire — Wheatear, 132; plumage of certain birds, 188 Hampshire—Scoter, 30, 80 ; Moor- hen, 81, 82 ; Song Thrush, 417; Swallows and Hobbies, 517 Herefordshire—Red-headed Cardi- nal, 275; Ring Ouzel, 403 Kent —- A stray bird, 221; Superb Tanager, 825; Chiffchaff, 517 Lancashire — Uong-tailed Field Mouse, 27; Moor-hen, 30, 31; Wheatear, 321 . Leicestershire—Songs of birds, 188 Lincolnshire — Spring migrations, 193; Seals, 417 Middlesex — Cats in London, 78 ; birds in Kensington Gardens, 84; Grey Lag-Goose, 224; Rooks, 370; Green Woodpecker near London, 518 Norfolk — Ornithological record (1898), 113; destruction of birds, 114, 183; Spoonbill, 270; notes, 272, 366; Demoiselle Crane, 419; Icterine Warbler, 475; Buff- breasted Sandpiper, 475; Blen- nius gattorugine, 273; Anchovy at Yarmouth, 558 Nottinghamshire — Tree Creeper, 556; notes, 557 Oxfordshire — Greenfinch, 135; Black-breasted Partridges, 270 ; songs of birds, 3824; ornitho- — logical notes, 431; Swallows and Hobbies, 476; Chiffchaff, 555 Somersetshire — Crossbill, 27; Moor-hen, 30, 557; Stoat, 179; Blackbird, 181; Starlings, 370; Green Woodpecker, 419; Spot- ted Flycatcher, 556 Suffolk—Little Bustard, 31 ; Great Shearwater, 31; Toad, 97 ; Helix cartusiana, 143; Cuckoo, 228, 323; Black-game, 557 Surrey — Cuckoo, 1385; Common Snipe, 225; Viper feeding in confinement, 518,—killed by a Mouse, 519 Sussex—Redbreast, 221; Serotine Bat, 266; Grey Seal, 320 Warwickshire—Great Grey Shrike, 79; Chiffchaff, 132 ; Whitethroat, 132 Westmoreland—Hobby, 556 Wiltshire—Squirrel, 132 Worcestershire — Chiffchaff, 134 Common Crossbill, 222; notes 259 CONTENTS. Yorkshire—Goshawk, 28; Grebes, 32; Bats, 52; White Stoats, 79, 131; Great Grey Shrike, 80; Land-Rail, 81; Roseate Tern, 83; Iceland Gull, 84, 1381; Wheatear’s eggs, 321; Haw- finches, 321; Great Spotted Woodpecker, 322; Spring mi- grants, 323; Whinchat, 369; Spotted Flycatcher, 869 ; Night- jar, 369; Starlings, 370; Grey Plover, 419; Song-Thrush, 554 ; Willow- Wren, 555 Crab, Edible, of Sydney, 482; Her- mit, 526 Cracticus torquatus, 408 Crane in Malta, 255; Demoiselle, on Norfolk coast, 419 Cranes in Norfolk, 119 Crangon vulgaris, 468 Craterellus, 463 Creeper, Tree, nesting in roof, 556 Crex pratensis, 74, 81 Cricetus frumentarius, 306, 347 Crossbill in North Wales, 28, 182; in Worcestershire, 222 Crossbills, flock, at Yeovil, 27 Cuckoo, habits of, during breeding season, 135; eggs of, the variation in, 176, 223,—in nest of Red-backed Shrike, 223 ; in Malta, 255; econ- omy of, 822 ; young, aiding a, 371 | Cuculus canorus, 64, 135, 160, 171, 228, 255, 271, 322, 323, 371, 461 Culicide, 309, 478 Curlew at sea, 419 Cyanecula suecica, 57; wolfi, 57 Cyanops asiatica, 419 Cychrus cylindricollis, 310 Cygnus atratus, 410 Cymatophora duplaris, 539 Cynictis penicillata, 179; mannii, 358 steed- Cypselus affinis, 418; apus, 86, 159, | 168, 171, 370; melba, 358; paci- | ficus, 140 Danais, 444 Dasypeltis scabra, 451 Dasypus villosus, 305 Daulias luscinia, 153, 161, 507 Dendrocopus minor, 64; major, 322 Dermestes, 309 Diary, observational, of habits of Nightjars, 388, 406 Dicerobatis giorne, 146; sp.? (with Plate), 145 Didunculus strigerostris, 548 X1li Dinosaur, a monstrous, 87 Dixa, 358 Dog and Fox hybrids, 240 Dove, Turtle, in Malta, 255, 257 Dresser, ornithological collection, sale of, 384 Duck, Tufted, breeding in South-west Derbyshire, 476 Ducks (Garganey, Pintail, Pochard, aup, Shoveller, Teal) in Malta, 254 Dytiscus, 541 Eagle, Golden, in North Scotland, 42, Echidna aculeata, 316 Eel, food of, 558 Egernia cunninghami, 412; whitei, 411 Eeg of Great Auk, sale, 382 Eggs, curious deposit of, 148; of Cuckoo, variation in, 176, 223,— coloration, 168,—in nest of Red- backed Shrike, 228, 323; of Moor- hen, 182; covering of by nesting birds, 183; white, of Redbreast, 221; of Wheatear, large clutch, 321 Hlephant, Sea (with Plate), 886 Elephas africanus, 551 ; indicus, 551 Elophorus aquaticus, 5388 Emberiza cirlus, 222, 322, 418; citri- nella, 68, 159, 162, 223; miliaria, 73; scheeniclus, 68, 159, 162, 233 | Emblema picta, 140 Emyda sp., 431 Enchytreus argenteus, 265; humi- cultur, 262; pellucidus, 264 Engraulis encrasicholus, 557 Ephthianura aurifrons, 140; tricolor, 140 Equisetace, 294 Equus burchelli, 317; zebra, 316, 318 Erigeron canadense, 348 Hriogaster lanestris, 538 Eristalis, 356 Erithacus rubecula, 58, 85, 153, 221, 271, 506 Eronia leda, 530 Estrelata caerulescens, 317 Euchloe cardamines, 530 Eudynamis mindanensis, 450 Eunomos erosaria, 445 Euphorbiacexe, 464 Eupecilia roseana, 531 Eurystomus pacificus, 143, 371 | Exidia, 463 XiV Faleo wsalon, 64; barbarus, 246; projana, 241; subbuteo, 476, 517, 556; tinnunculus, 73 Faunas of Caspian and Baltic Seas, 528 | Fecundity, varying, in birds, 23, 86, 137, 164 Felis guigna, 316 Fishery, Seal and Whale (1898), 103 Finches (Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Green- finch, and Hawfinch) in Malta, 256 Fish, a probable species to be added to British lists, 429 Fishes, seven senses of, 383 Flamingo in Merionethshire, 29 Flatine, 452 Flint implements, spurious, 18; ar- row-heads figured, 20; axes figured, 21 Flower, Sir William Henry, memoir of (with portrait), 337 Flycatcher, Pied, in North Wales, 134; Spotted, time of arrival, 369, —abnormal nesting place, 556 Food of Grebes, 32 Forficula, 357 Forficulide, 301 Fox and Dog hybrids, 240 Foxes in Halifax, 144; and Badgers, | 191 Francolinus levaillantii, 545; sub- torquatus, 545 Fratercula arctica, 69, 76 Fredericia agricola, 264; magna, Te eal EP RyA Or Fregata minor, 139 Fringilla ccelebs, 85, 138, 158, 162; montifringilla, 62 Fulica atra, 547; australis, 142 Fuligula cristata, 136, 476; ferin- oides (homeyeri), hybrid between F. nyroca and F’. ferina, 128 Fulmarus glacialis, 77 Gadus morrhua, 272, 343 Gallinago ceelestis, 74, 225 Gallinula chloropus, 30, 31, 81, 86, 182 Garrulus glandarius, 159, 171 Gastrophilus equi, 357 Gastrosteus spina chia, 349 Gazella euchore, 218 Geaster, 463 Gecinus sp. ?, 151, 159, 163; viridis, 181, 419, 518 Geese, Wild, in Malta, 258 Gehyra variegata, 411 Geoglossum, 463 CONTENTS. Geoplana cerulea, 462; splendens 462 . Georyssus areniferus, 538 Glycyphila albifrons, 140 ; Gobius capito probably to be found in British waters, 429 Goose, Grey Lag, colour of bill, 224 Goshawk nesting in Yorkshire, 28 Grebe, Sclavonian, in Oxfordshire, 441 Grebes, food of, 32; Blacknecked, Little, and Sclavonian, in Malta, 254, 256, 257 Greenfinch, regularity in beginning song, 135 Grus virgo, 419 Gryllide, 301 Guepinia, 463 Guinea-fowl, hybrid, 119 Gull, Iceland, at Scarborough, 84 Gymnodactylus platurus, 412 Habit, a, of Roseate Tern, 83 Habits, nesting, of Moor-hen, 30, 31, 81, 82; of Roseate Tern, 838; some, of Bats, 1381; of Cuckoo during breeding season, 135; of Nightjars, 388, 486 Haddiscoe Marshes, Norfolk, notes from, 366 Hematopus ostralegus, 67, 74 Halcyon albiventris, 148 Haliaetus albicilla, 65; leucogaster, 412, Haliastur leucosternus, 142 Halicherus gryphus, 131, 320 Hare, Cape Jumping, anatomy of, 45 Harrier, Montagu’s, in Malta, 257 Hawfinches near Bradford, 321 Hecteractitis brevipes, 371 Hedgehogs in Halifax, 144 Heliconiide, 444 Helix cartusiana and H. ericetorum in Sukolk, 143 Hemjsaga predatoria, 444 Herons (Common, Night, Purple, Squacco), in Malta, 254 Hevea braziliensis, 464 Hieracidea occidentalis, 142 Hieraétus morphnoides, 139 Hippolyte fascigera, 535 ; varians, 535 Hippotragus equinus, 318; niger, 318 Hirundo rustica, 72, 85, 158, 162, 271; urbica, 85 Hobby in Westmoreland, 556 Hybrids, Fox and Dog, 240 Hydrochelidon leucoptera ?, 140 (virbius) CONTENTS. XV Hy la, 553 Hylerpeton, 301 Hylodes martinicensis, 361 Hylonomus, 301 Hypoderma bovis, 336 Hypolais icterina, 155, 161, 475 Ibis, Glossy, in Malta, 255; spini- collis, 317 Ictonyx zorilla, 449 Inachus scorpioides, 536 ‘International Review of Fisheries and Fish-culture,’ 527 IRELAND. — Mistle - Thrush, 180; Blackbird, 181; Green Woodpecker, 181; Little Tern, 182; Great Wood-boring Wasp, 184, 421; or- nithological notes, 864, 481; White Wagtail, 418 ; Grey Phalarope, 477 Isle of Man, Terns in, 52; Grey Seal, 131 ‘Isle of Wight Parson,’’ 80 Ispidina natalensis, 148 Tynx torquilla, 159 Jackdaw in Malta, 257 Jay, colour of the iris, 477 Juida zenea, 317 Kallima, 531, 532 Kangaroo, new-born, how does it get into the mother’s pouch ?, 868 Kensington Gardens, birds in (18 97 98), 84 Kestrel in Malta, 256 Ketupa ceylonensis, 317 Kingfisher in Malta, 255, 257 Kite, Black, nesting in Verona, 241 Lacerta muralis, 150 Lagopus albus, 65; scoticus, 271 Lama guanacus, 469 Lamprococcyx basalis, 140 Lamprotornis aurita, 317; chalybea, 317 Lanius collurio, 158, 162, 176; ex- eubitor, 79, 80, 255 Lapwing, heavy death-rate, 225; in Malta, 258 Lark, Short-toed, in Malta, 258; Sky, singing in October, 517 Larus argentatus, 67, 75; cauus, 68, 70, 271; fuscus, 67, 75, 186; leu- copterus, 84; marinus, 67, 75; neve-hollandiz, 409; ridibundus, 75, 86 Lasiocampa quercifolia, 455 Latrunculus pellucidus, 349 Lepidodendra, 294 Leptalis, 445 Lernea branchialis, 344 Lerneonema monilaris, 239 Leto stacyi, 453 Lichnotentha picata, 140 Ligdus chelifer, 357 Light attractive to fishes, 191 Ligurinus chloris, 135, 158 Limenitis procris, 537 Limnius «neus, 538 Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri, 262 Limosa lapponica, 364; melanur- oides, 140 Linnet in Malta, 256 Linota cannabina, 159; flavirostris, 62, 72, 272; linaria, 62 Lion, loss of life, in captivity, 47; African, feeding, in Chicago, 47 Locusta viridissima, 351 Locustella nevia, 541 Locustidex, 301 Loligo vulgaris, 347 Lophophaps ferruginea, 141 Lophyrus pini, 348 Loxia curvirostra, 27, 28, 182, 222 Lusciniola schwarzi, 124 Lycaon pictus, 215, 449 Lycogala epidendron, 463 Lycopodiacee, 294 Lygeide, 357 Lygosoma teniolatum, 411 Macacus cynomolgus, 803 Macegillivray, William, the late, pro- posed memorial to, 42 Machetes pugnax, 115, 171 Macropodus viridi-auratus, 318 Macrorhinus angustirostris, 387; ele- phantinus, 385; leoninus, 387 Maja verrucosa, 536 Malta, ornithological notes from, 254 Malurus elegans, 141; leucopterus, 141 Man, Early, in Britain, 18 Manta birostris, 146 Mantide, 290, 301 Mantis, 800 Marasmius, 463 Mareca penelope, 73 Matricaria chamomilla, 445 Melanitis ledea, 530 Melanoplus differentialis, 287 Meliornis nove-hollandiz, 413 Menagerie at Haggerston Castle, 333 Mergulus alba, 76 Mergus merganser, 71; serrator, 71 Merops ornatus, 371 ' Messmates, strange, 147 XV1 Mice of St. Kilda, 191 Microgaster, 454 Migrants in Aberdeen (1899), 271; spring, in Yorkshire, 323 Migrations, early spring, 193 Milport, Maine, Biological Station, 238 Milvus ictinus, 242, 244, 245, 246, 247; Korschun, 241; migrans, 241, 244, 247; milano, 241 Mimicry, 289, 341, 443, 529 Misoealius osculans, 140 Monitor, Cape, 226, 272; correction, 421 Montagu, Col. George, 378 Moor-hen, nesting habits, 30, 31, 81, 82, 557; eggs and nest of, 182 Mosquitoes, how to collect, 428 Motacilla alba, 61, 157, 162, 418; borealis, 61; flava, 157, 267; lugu- bris, 86, 268, 271; melanope, 162, 271; raii, 286 Mouse, Long-tailed Field, climbing powers of, 27 Miiller, Johannes, monument to, zoo- logical sketches of, 560 Mungoose, Thick-tailed, habits of, in South Africa, 179 Mus sylvaticus, 27 Muscicapa atricapilla, 60, 134; gri- sola, 60, 85, 162, 369, 556 Museum Reports, &c.:— Birmingham Nat. Hist. Collection, 236 Chicago Academy of Sciences, 382 Essex Local and Educational Mus. of Nat. Hist., 288 London School Board, 240 Robertson Museum, 238 Mussels of Mississippi River, 480 Mustela erminea, 79, 131, 179; pu- torius, 79; vison, 305 Mycteris longicarpus, 412 Mylodon, supposed existing, 380 Myotis daubentoni, 472; mystacinus, 49, 181, 471, 475 Myxicola, 457 Myxine, 350 Myzomela nigra, 141 Natal, zoological notes from (with Plate), 145 Nautilograpsus minutus, 536 Nemathelminthes, 348 Nephila, 414 Neptunus pelagicus, 432 Nest, strange, of South African Pied Bush Shrike, 80; of Titlark with Toad in, 87; of male Blackbird CONTENTS. with stored seeds, 181; of Moor- hen, 182; of Red-backed Shrike with eggs of Cuckoo, 222, 323; of Thrush piled up with ivy-berries, 320 Nesting of Goshawk in Yorkshire, 28; habits of Moor-hen, 30, 31, 81, 82, 557; of Short-eared Owl, 121 ; of Mistle-Thrush, 180; birds, cover- ing of eggs by, 183; of Common Snipe near London, 225; of Black Kite in Verona, 241; of Starlings in fir trees, 370; sites, abnormal, of Willow Wren, 555; of Tree Creeper in roof, 556; place, abnor- mal, of Spotted Flycatcher, 556 Nestor notabilis, 307 Nests of Short-eared Owl, 421 Niagara Falls, loss of avian life, 44 Nicotiana tabacum, 348 Nightjar in Malta, 256; time of arrival, 369; Red-necked, in Malta, 255 Nightjars, diary of habits, 388, 406 Nisus sphenurus, 351 Norfolk, ornithological record from (1898), 118; destruction of birds, 114, 1838 Norway, Northern, notes from, 54 Numenius arquata, 65, 74, 271, 419; pheopus, 65, 74 Nycticorax ardeola, 247; caledoni- cus, 140 ornithological OBITUARY :— Baur, Georg Hermann Carl Lud- wig, 95 Bonheur, Rosa, 281 Biichner, Prof. Ludwig, 280 Cordeaux, John, 384, 415 Everett, Alfred Hart, 96 Flower, Sir William Henry, K.C.B., F.R.S., 337 Hewetson, Henry Hendelack, 280 McCoy, Prof. Sir F., 280 Marsh, Prof. O. C., 234 Nicholson, Prof. Alleyne, 95 Stark, A. C., Dr., 559 Stevens, Samuel, 479 Sykes, Christopher, 47 Whitehead, John, 382 Wolf, Joseph, 234 Ocypoda cordimana, 408 Oddi ornithological collection, 482 (Hdemia nigra, 30, 80, 557 (Hdicnemus crepitans, 545 Ophiderpeton, 301 CONTENTS. Organic colour, origin of, 48 Orgyia antiqua, 455 Oriole, Golden, in Malta, 255, 256 Oriolus galbula, 158, 162, 171 Osteolepus, 502 Otaria gillespu, 552 Othonia gracilis, 536 Otis tetrax, 32,—figured, 120 Otocorys alpestris, 64 Ouzel, Ring, haunt of, 403 Ovis musimon, 549; tragelaphus, 549 Owl, Cape Scops, in captivity, 420 ; Short-eared, nesting of, 121 Owls (Barn, Long-eared, Scops, Short- eared) in Malta, 254 Oxfordshire, notes on the ornitho- logy of, 433 Panurus biarmicus, 115 Papilio cenea, 530; lyzus, 458; ma- chaon, 318 Paroaria cucullata, 275 Parra gallinacea, 467 Parrots, tax on exports from Loango, 287 Partridge, variety, 126 Partridges, black-breasted, 270; Rus- sian, 224 Parus ater, 85, 157, 308; borealis, 60; cxeruleus, 85, 157, 162, 313; major, 85, 157, 162, 308; palustris, 85, 157 Passer domesticus, 638, 72, 85, 158, 162; montanus, 158, 162; rufi- pectus, 422 Pastor roseus, 317 : Pearl-button industry of Mississippi River, 480 Pedetes caffer, 45 Pelamid in Cornwail, 421 Pelamya sarda, 421 Penthina gentiana, 531 Perameles nasuta, 413; obesula, 413 Perdix cinerea, 160, 271; daurica, 270; montana, 126 Petasia casinea, 539 Petrels, Storm, in Malta, 255; flying at light, 557 Petrosea goodenovil, 141 Phalacrocorax carbo, 30, 70, 73, 183 ; graculus, 73, melanoleucus, 409; nove-hollandiz, 408 Phalarope, Grey, in Co. Armagh, 477 Phalaropus fulicarius, 477; hyper- boreus, 66, 169 Pharnacea serratipes, 290 Phasianus colchicus, 139, 160 XVll Phasma rossia, 290 Phasmide, 290-302, 455, 541 Pheropsophus, 468 | Philanthus triangulum, 356 Phoceena, 409 Pheenicopterus roseus, 29 Phomacentridx, 464 Photodilus badius, 317 _ Phrynosoma, 468 Phyciodes, 460 Phyllium crurifolium, 456 Phyllomorpha paradoxa, 451 Phyllopteryx sp., 540 Phylloscopus bonelli, 154; rufus, 133, 134, 154, 177, 517, 555; sibilatrix, 154; superciliosus, 221; trochilus, 60, 85, 154, 177, 555 Physalix, 409, 410 Pica rustica, 64, 159, 162 Picus major, 460 Pieridee, 444, 445 Pieris brassicx, 529, 530 Pigments, green, in invertebrates, 430 Pilobolus, 446 Pionus acciptrinus, 317 Pipistrellus noctula, 131, 473; pipi- strellus, 473 Pisa armata, 536; tetradon, 536 Platalea leucorodia, 270 Platycercus semitorquatus, 141; zo- narius, 371 Plecotus auritus, 471 Plectophanes nivalis, 63 Plotus levaillanti, 461 Plover, Grey, in summer plumage in Yorks, 419 Plovers (Golden and Grey) in Malta, 255 Plumage of certain birds, variations in, 138 Pochard, Paget’s, hybrid, 128 Podiceps auritus, 32 Pecilogale albinucha, 449 Point Cloates, North-west Australia, notes from, 139 Polecats in Wales, 79; in Halifax, 144 Poliaetus leucogaster, 142 Poymitarcys virgo, 348 Polyporus betulinus, 459; fomenta- rius, 459 Pond-life, microscopical, 281 Porpoise at London Bridge, 96 Pratincola rubetra, 152, 161, 203, 267, 369, 475; rubecula, 133 ; rubicola, 152, 161, 208 Pratincole in Malta, 255 Primary, first, in passerine birds, 129 | Procellaria pelagica, 77, 557 XVlil Prolochus longiceps, 357 Prosthemadera nove-zealandix, 317 Protophasmide, 293 Psalidoprocne holomelena, 147 Psittacula galgula, 317 Puffinus anglorum, 77 ; major, 31 Pyrrhula europea, 139, 159; major, 61 Python sebe, 519 Quail in Malta, 255, 256 Querquedula circia,115,136 ; crecca,73 Rail, Land, late stay, 81 Rainworth, notes from, 557 Rana esculenta, 150, 156, 818; opis- thodon, 861; temporaria, 97, 98 Ray, Eagle, or Devil-fish, a mon- strous (with Plate), 145 Razorbill in Malta, 255 Reading, notes from (1898), 186 Recurvirostra avocetta, 32 Redbreast, white eggs of, 221; in Malta, 256 Redshank in Malta, 258 Redstart, Black, in Malta, 255, 257 ; Common, in Malta, 255 Regulus cristatus, 154; ignicapillus, 154 Rhinoceros bicornis, 469; simus, 469; sumatrensis, 318; unicornis, 470 Rhinolophus hipposiderus, 474 Rhomalea speciosa, 452 Rhombus levis, 273 ; maximus, 273 Ricinus, 464 Rissa tridactyla, 76, 843 Rook, singular, 118 Rooks for South Afriea, 335; in the West-End of London, 370 Rotterdam zoological collection, 318 Ruticilla phoenicurus, 58, 170, 210; titys, 151, 152, 161 Sabella, 462 Salamandra maculata, 808; maculosa, 318 Salmon in the Tweed and Teviot, 46; | | Songs of birds affected by weather, Severn, 284; Welsh, 285 Salmonide, 304 Salticoide, 357 Salvelinus, 304 Sandpiper, Buff-breasted, in Norfolk, 475; Common, in Malta, 258 Saunders, John, testimonial to, 559 Saxicola cenanthe, 58, 72, 1382, 152, 170, 200, 821 Scale-insects, 383 ‘Science Gossip,’ 47 Sciurus vulgaris, 152 CONTENTS. Scolopax rusticula, 370 Scops capensis, 420 Scoters in South Hants ? and Isle of Wight, 30, 80 . ScoTLanp.—Lapwings, 225; Songs of birds affected by weather, 225; Whinchat, 267; Pied Wagtail in Aberdeenshire, 268 ; ornithological notes, 271; Woodcock, 370; Cuc- koo, 871; Skylark, 517 Seal and Whale Fishery (1898), 103 Seal, Grey, at Isle of Man, 181; on Sussex coast, 320 Seals, destruction of, 192; in the Wash, 417 Serajevo, Bosnia, ornithological meet- ing at, 511 Serpentarius secretarius, 460 Sesia bombyliformis, 454; fuciformis, 454 Shag or Green Cormorant in Malta, 257 Shearwater, Great, at Lowestoft, 31 Sheldrake, Ruddy, in Malta, 258 Shetland birds, notes on, 72 Shrike, Great Grey, in Warwick- shire, 79,—at Scarborough, 80,— in Malta, 255; South African Bush, strange nest of, 80 Silurus glarus, 317 Sirex gigas, 184, 421 Siskin in Malta, 256 Sisymbrium sophia, 348 Sketches, original, of British birds, 1, 198, 506 Skylark in Malta, 256; singing in October, 517 Snipe, Common, nesting near Lon- don, 225; Great, in Malta, 258 Societies. —Royal Microscopical, 281 ; Zoological, Report (1898), 282,— new President, 382 Sokotra, Island of, Scientific Expedi- tion to, 560 Somateria mollissima, 70, 73 Solea lascaris, 273 135, 183, 225, 324 | Sphongophorus, 452 | Spiders, British and Irish, 281 | Spiloglaux boobook, 141 Spoonbill near Great Yarmouth, 270 Spreo bicolor, 307 Spirobis, 5385 Squatarola helvetica, 142, 419 Squilla mantis, 290 Squirrel, albino, in Wiltshire, 132 | Starling in Malta, 255; variety, 255 CONTENTS. Starlings, delinquencies of, 268, 370 ; nesting in fir trees, 370 Stenorrhynchus longirostris, 536 Stercorarius catarrhactes, 763; crepi- datus, 68, 76 Sterna arctica, 32 ; dougallii, 83 ; ma- crura, 67, 74; minuta, 32, 182 Stipiturus malachurus, 140; rufipes, 371 Stoat, white, 79, 131, 179 Stonechat in Malta, 257 Storms and song-birds, 43 Stray bird in Kent, 221 Strigops habrobtilus, 307 Strix delicatulus, 141 Stromatopoda, 290 Sturnus unicolor, 256; vulgaris, 64, 73, 85, 159, 162, 268, 370 Sula bassana, 73 Suricata tetradactyla, 516 Suricate in the Transvaal, 516 Swallows and Hobbies, 476, 517 Swan, Whooper, in Malta, 255 Swifts fighting, 418 Sydney, a ramble near, 407 Sylvia atricapilla, 60, 154, 161; c- nerea, 72, 132, 154, 161, 508; hor- tensis, 154, 161; locustella, 221 Syrnium aluco, 86, 160 Tabanide, 809 Tachonide, 454 Tait, Lawson, and animal life, 336 Tanganyika, Lake, fauna of, 42 Tanager, Superb, on sexual diffe- rences in, 325 Tapirus indicus, 318 ** Taxidermist,’”’ derivation ? 96 Taxus baccata, 310 Tern, Little, in Ireland, 182; Roseate, habit of, 88 Terns in Isle of Man, 82 Tetrao tetrix, 557 Thomisus, 533; onustus, 533 Thrush in Malta, 257; nest of, piled up with ivy berries, 320; Mistle, nesting of, 180 ; Song, variety, 417, —abundance near Bradford, 554 Titanophasma fayoli, 292, 293 Toad in nest of Titlark, 87; Com- mon, observations on, 97 Todirhamphus pyrrhopygius, 141 ; sanctus, 139 Totanus calidris, 65; hypoleucus, 66, 74 Trachypetes aquila, 308 Trek-Bokke of Cape Colony, 213 Tremella, 463 Tremellodon gelatinosum, 463 X1x Tres Marias Islands, Nat. Hist., 286 Trichogaster fasciatus, 318 Tringa alpina, 66, 74, 271; striata, 66; temmincki, 66 Triton alpestris, 318; taniatus, 318 Troglodytes parvulus, 72, 85, 157, 162 Tryngites rufescens, 475 Tuberculosis among animals in Zoo- logical Society’s Gardens, 336 Tubifex rivulorum, 352 Turdus iliacus, 7,58; merula, 13, 85, 152, 161, 181, 267; musicus, 85, 151, 320, 417, 554; pilaris, 58, 557; torquatus, 59, 198, 271, 403; visci- vorus, 1, 180 Turnix velox, 140 Turnstones in Malta, 255 Turtle in dry mud, 431 Turtur communis, 160, 163 Typhlopsylla hexactenus, 53 Uria grylle, 68, 76; troile, 76 Ursus torquatus, 316 Utricularia, 456 Vanellus cristatus, 74; vulgaris, 225, 271 Vanessa atalanta twenty miles from laud, 422 Varanus albigularis, 226, 272, 421; niloticus, 226, 272, 421 Variety of Stoat, 89, 131, 179; Rook, 118; Partridge, 126; Squirrel, 132; Helix ericetorum, 143; Beaver, 220; Starling, 256; Song-Thrush, 417; Green Woodpecker, 419 Vertebrates of Berkshire, 143 Vespertilio serotinus, 181, 266 Vesperugo leisleri, 266 Viper feeding in confinement, 518; killed by a mouse, 519 Vipera verus, 518 Wagtail, Blue-headed, in Cumber- land, 267; Pied, abnormal occur- rence, 268; White, in Co. Cork, 418 Wagtails (Blue-headed, Grey, and White) in Malta, 255, 256 Wars.—Crossbill, 28, 182 ; Flamin- go, 29; Polecat, 79; Pied Fly- catcher, 184; Grasshopper Warbler, 221; Cirl Bunting, 322 Walton’s ‘Compleat Angler,’ sale of first editions, 48 Warbler, Grasshopper, in Brecon- shire, 221; Icterine, in Norfolk, 475 Wasp, Great Wood-boring, in Ireland, 184, 421 Weldon, W. F. R., new Linacre Prof, at Oxford, 144 XX CONTENTS. Whale run down by steamer, 287 Wren, Willow, abnormal nesting, 555 Whalebone, nomenclature of, 40 Whale and Seal Fishery (1898), 103 | Xantholema hematocephala, 419 Wheatear, winter occurrence of, 132; eggs, large clutch, 321 Yarmouth, Great, Sprat banquet, 238 ; Whinchat, is it a mimic ?, 267, 369 notes from, 278; Anchovy, 558 Whitethroat, late stay, in Warwick- shire, 182; in Malta, 258 ; Zebra-Horse hybrids, 180 Woodcock, peculiar conduct of, 370 Zoarces viviparus, 317 Woodpecker, Green, in Ireland, 181,— | Zoological collections of Amsterdam, variety, 419,—near London, 518; Rotterdam, and Antwerp, 316 Great Spotted, in Yorkshire, 322 ‘Zoological Record’ for 1897, 40 Worcestershire, North, notes on some | Zoology for pharmacists, 288 birds from, 259 Zosterops, 414; luteus, 140 ILLUSTRATIONS. PAGE Plate I. Eagle Ray (Dicerobatis sp.) . : i ; . to face 145 », LI. Sir William Henry Flower, K.C.B., F.R.S. . ; es 337 », III. The ‘Sea Elephant” (Macrorhinus elephantinus) “ 385 Spurious Flint Arrow-heads . ; ; : : chi, Ae ; 20 o 55 | AKO : : : : , : : : A . 21 Little Bustard (Otzs tetrax, Linn.) : ; : : . see - 120 THE ZOOLOGIST No. 691.—January, 1899. ORIGINAL SKETCHES OF BRITISH BIRDS. By H. S. DAvENpPorRT. Tue Mistrix-Turusu (Turdus viscivorus). Tuer song of the Mistle-Thrush has an indescribable charm for most lovers of birds, and, it may be added, not without reason. Heard at a time of the year when the afternoons are visibly lengthening out, and our thoughts are attuned to the coming of spring, the associations connected with it doubtless tend to a pleasing influence upon the listener apart from any actual merit contained in the song itself, which, to my mind, is considerable. The melody, however, is somewhat curtailed, no matter whether poured forth in storm or in sunshine, with a distinct kind of curl in it, resembling not a little the wild notes of the Ring-Ouzel. I do not know if others have remarked this peculiarity in the song to which I have alluded, and which it is quite possible may be considered a very indifferent definition of what it is my wish to convey; nevertheless, this curious intona- tion, which I have attempted to describe by the term “curl,” is distinctly present. It has been stated with a show of authority that Mistle- Thrushes are not gregarious, but that they consort in families ; the fact remains, however, that Mistle-Thrushes are to be seen associating in considerable numbers in the month of September every year. Now I must say at the outset that I am far from wishing to criticize the observations and experiences of others, Zool. 4th ser. vol. III., January, 1899. B 2 THE ZOOLOGIST. when irreconcilable with my own, in a harsh or captious man- ner, for I am by no means insensible of the heavy debt ornitholo- gists of every degree owe to the writings of their predecessors ; nevertheless, the truth is, or should be, the common object of all who write sketches of bird-life. Many a time in the spring of the year, when I have been waiting and watching in some plantation or wood in order to watch a Sparrow-Hawk to its selected nest, old nests of years gone by being in almost every tree, have I been indebted to the far less harmonious, not to say angry and objurgatory, notes of the Mistle-Thrush at a distance for warning to pull myself together and be on the alert; while a moment or so later, swiftly and silently winging its flight amidst the trees, has the special object of my ramble appeared, shooting up at last to its perch upon a branch, and remaining perfectly motionless while eventually affording me—provided my ambush had told no tales —the identical piece of information I was in want of. In defence of its nest the Mistle-Thrush is very courageous, but still more So in defence of its young when on the point of quitting it; I have observed some battles royal on the part of this bird with Rooks and Jackdaws, and, though successful on occasions in fraudulently appropriating the eggs, I have never seen the two species just mentioned actually capture the young. I have good reasons for considering this bird a very early breeder. I have never detected its nest in abnormal situations, nor have I come across abnormal eggs, either as regards colour, shape, or size, as has been the case with sundry other birds; but a most singular instance respecting the nesting of this species came under my notice in the spring of 1883. In May of that year there were two Mistle-Thrushes’ nests built low down in ornamental yew trees, within half a dozen yards of each other, opposite the hall-door of a country house in Leicestershire. Both nests contained eggs when I found them, and in each instance broods were successfully reared. Some few days after all the young ones had flown, I was rather surprised to notice an old bird again on one of the nests, and, on inspecting it, I was a great deal more surprised to find that it contained no fewer than nine eggs, five being of the type of those originally laid in it, and the remaining four evidently the property of the Mistle-'Thrush ORIGINAL SKETCHES OF BRITISH BIRDS. 3 that had built and utilized the nest in the adjoining tree. I took four of the nine eggs away, and the old bird incubated the remainder, and in the course of time brought forth a second brood. Meanwhile the other Mistle-Thrush had constructed a second nest a short distance off, and she too was successful in hatching out a second brood. I should add that the eggs in the two nests in the first instance presented very distinctive features, so the absolute accuracy of what I have related need not for one moment be called in question. The Curator of the Leicester Museum and others were acquainted with this interesting case at the time. The year following (1884) only one nest was built; I found it on March 24th, some six weeks earlier than in 1888, when the two nests had been built in May, altogether a late date, except on the hypothesis that it was a case of second nesting, which seems probable. The nest was placed in pretty much the same spot in 1884 ; it contained seven eggs, all fresh, and an old bird was brooding them when I discovered it. Of the seven eggs, four were of one size, shape, and colouring, and three of another, and both lots corresponded with the character and were beyond all doubt referable to the two types of the eggs laid in the preceding year. It may be hazardous to theorize on the subject, but I have a theory, and it is this—that the two hen birds shared a mate between them. In the one instance the eggs were small and round, while in the other they were rather elongated, the ground colour, moreover, as also the markings, varying with each type. Having kept specimens of each in 1883, I naturally compared them with those laid in 1884, and there can be no sort of doubt but that they were the produce of the same two birds. With regard to this species, I do not remember having met with anything else in their economy or life-history that need be reproduced here. Their conspicuous nests, built early in the spring of the year, and containing, as arule, four or five eggs, are known to most schoolboys; but when I come to deal with the Lapwing, I shall relate what I have every reason for believing was a second instance of a single male bird aiding and abetting the nidification of twofemales. Polygamy is natural to some species, but Mistle-Thrushes and Lapwings do not come within the category. Of course, 1 am far from contending that the accuracy B2 4 THE ZOOLOGIST. of my theory is absolutely proven, though it satisfies my own convictions. With the advance of summer, and after the young are fledged, the Mistle-Thrush’s utterance is chiefly limited to a harsh mono- syllabic note sounding like wark, repeated at intervals. People have often asked me what it was, and not always believed me when I have told them. Some have fancied it to be the croak of a Frog. Without undue presumption, I think I may claim to have found a Mistle-Thrush’s nest so charmingly situated as to have been simply peerless in the natural beauty of its immediate surroundings. A huge bunch of mistletoe hung for many years from one of the middle branches of a lofty poplar at the four cross-roads between Lucton School and Mortimer’s Cross, in Herefordshire, and in the centre of this bunch a pair of Mistle- Thrushes one spring built their nest and reared their young. Subsequently an enterprising boy climbed the tree just previously to the Christmas holidays, and possessed himself of the mistletoe in its entirety, which doubtless he put to much less profitable use when it adorned the interior of his own home than had been the case with the striking-looking birds that had once employed it as a nesting site during the month of sunshine and showers. There is a prevailing notion that Mistle-Thrushes are silent after April has run its course. ‘This may be true of the majority, but one of the species most certainly sang to me almost daily during the first three weeks of May in 1894. There are, I may perhaps observe, many hard-and-fast notions about the history and economy of birds which are wholly erroneous, but which are possibly to be condoned from the fact that they are so often repeated, and therefore fostered, by so-called popular writers on Natural History. Original observations are what we want nowa- days; how seldom, comparatively speaking, do we get them where birds are concerned ! THe Sone-Turusy (Turdus musicus). Of so generally abundant and well-known a species through- out the British Islands I have not very much to say that has not been said scores of times already, and therefore my remarks . on this delightful songster will be discreetly and advantageously ORIGINAL SKETCHES OF BRITISH BIRDS. 5 curtailed. Its nest is to be found in varying and odd situations, and in the spring of 1894 I noticed, during a long visit to North Wales, chiefly for ornithological purposes, that a very favourite site for it was not only on but in banks. I was staying at Llanuwchllyn, a village prettily situated near the southern shore of Bala Lake, and it was almost impossible for anyone who possesses a keen eye for birds’ nests to stroll along the charming lanes thereabouts without remarking those of Song-Thrushes so located. Children journeying to and from school twice a day along these lanes made sad havoc of all kinds of nests, but it struck me that the poor confiding Song-Thrushes fared the worst at their hands, not even excepting Blackbirds and Robin Red- breasts. The wantonness with which nests were torn from their picturesque sites, and the eggs flung broken on the ground, fairly made my blood boil on many an occasion; while I ascertained that the little girls were every whit as bad as the boys. If masters and mistresses of village schools throughout the kingdom —for I have little reason to doubt that the wantonness com- plained of is pretty general—would take upon themselves to impress on the youthful mind the cruelty involved in robbing birds’ nests wholesale without any set or scientific purpose, and would further impress the moral by a little salutary correction on the youthful bodies of hardened offenders, the result would be far more conducive to the peace and happiness of the birds them- selves, and infinitely less harrowing to the feelings of those who from a genuine and deep-rooted love of their subject make the avifauna of these islands the all-engrossing study of a lifetime. That some such restrictions in the matter would not be with- out general and good effect is shown, I think, by a visit I once ‘paid to the Bempton cliffs, on the Yorkshire coast—between Bridlington and Filey—in order to watch the gathering of the Common Guillemots’ eggs, and make a selection of quaintly- marked and uncommon specimens for my own collection. On this occasion I was accompanied by my wife, who takes as keen a delight in birdsnesting as myself, and is wonderfully “‘ smart” at finding eggs; and as we walked along the main road from Bempton station to the cliffs, we noticed several nests of different species, containing eggs, in most exposed situations, and were, moreover, not a little struck by the fact that the children we 6 THE ZOOLOGIST. passed were busily engaged picking the wayside flowers. There is more in this than meets the eye, I thought; so we stopped and asked an intelligent-looking boy of apparently some eight or nine years of age if he or his companions ever meddled with the birds’ nests. Quick as possible came back the answer, ‘“‘ Oh, no; we’re not allowed to.” And on further investigation I rejoiced to find that such was absolutely the case, the children in the village schools thereabouts being very rightly taught the cruelty of an indiscriminate and irrational destruction of birds’ nests and eggs. This species is an indefatigable songster, and probably if it were less frequentiy heard in our gardens and orchards, we should set greater store by its music—regard its varied and stirring notes with greater favour. I have heard it sing every month in the year at such times as the weather has been mild and open. I heard one give forth a few sweet notes at a quarter to eight on two consecutive mornings in the first week in January in the year 1888, and another bird sang almost every day in my garden throughout the November of 1893. As is the case with most of our feathered songsters, however, the weather plays an all-important part in the ‘“‘to be or not to be” question of an open-air vernal concert; nevertheless, the Mistle-Thrush must be quoted as a notable exception to this rule, and as one not to be deterred by storms and gales from chanting its:pleasing lay. Alike in fair weather and foul, and at its appointed season, the ““Stormcock” raises its voice, perched aloft amidst the topmost branches—rather preferring, I have observed, to station itself in an isolated tree either by the roadside or in a hedgerow a field away for the purpose. The Song-Thrush is a more or less migratory species; it pairs early in the spring, and the nest, which is quite unique, is placed in a variety of situations; but because I once discovered one on the ground in the Rectory plantation at Skeffington is not conceived an adequate reason for suggesting that that is one of its normal situations. We talk glibly enough about the absurdity of drawing conclusions from single instances, and yet I can never get out of my head reading in some book or other intended for the instruction of simple tyros like myself that Nut- hatches’ nests were to be looked for in haystacks! I can only ORIGINAL SKETCHES OF BRITISH BIRDS. 7 presume it was thought that to this grotesquely aberrant situation for a Nuthatch’s nest—the original of which, by-the-by, is to be seen in the South Kensington Museum—the Latin adage ex uno disce omnes would most fitly apply. Let all young ornithologists be on their guard against the tendency to generalize from a single and perhaps exceptional experience. Surely I have some memory of a man who once alleged he had shot a Hare at ninety yards, and who wrote proclaiming the feat in a well-known journal devoted to records of sport, and who argued therefrom that he could always kill Hares at ninety yards! Unless I am dreaming, the gentleman with the long bow was somewhat roughly handled by subsequent critics of both his feat and logic in the same journal. The writer once dropped a Grouse dead at ninety yards—a cross shot—that had been previously “‘ peppered’’; it was a precious fluke, a stray corn just chancing to penetrate the brain; but many another has been missed at a third of the distance since. It was on the beautiful Kildonan moors, in Sutherlandshire, that the shot was made and measured. However, the Song-Thrush is my theme. With regard to its eggs, the only abnormal-sized varieties 1 have met with have invariably been on the small scale. I have also found them on rare occasions unspotted, and in one instance, in Herefordshire, I took a beautiful clutch of five with blood-red markings upon them. The characteristic nest of this species is too well known to need my making any reference to it. Tue Repwine (Turdus iliacus). For a close inspection and prolonged study of the Redwing there is hardly a period more suitable than that of frost and snow, especially when a heavy fall of the latter has covered the ground to the depth of several inches, and the grass of the green fields has been hidden from our view for many days. Then it is that the poor birds, with their normal food supply cut short, and pinched with cold and hunger, draw to the roadside hedges for the purpose of feeding on the winter berries which, in mild open weather, they apparently set less store by, except on first arrival. During a severe spell of weather I have gone close up to as many as ten or a dozen in a low bush, their attitude crouching and despondent, and they have shown neither fear nor inclination to 8 THE ZOOLOGIST. be gone at my approach. There is some old saying to the effect that adversity makes strange bedfellows, and the truth of it occurred very forcibly to me when one morning a winter or so ago I found some Redwings collected in a thorn-bush by the roadside, sitting quite still, and apparently resigned to any fate that might overtake them. Noticing a dark and much larger- looking object in the same bush, and having my curiosity aroused, I went up to it, and discovered that their companion in misfortune was a Squirrel. The poor thing, tamed by hunger and cold, was as confiding as the Redwings, and seemed to be sharing their frugal fare of hips and haws. I am of opinion, nevertheless, that this species is able to with- stand the occasional severity of our winters much more readily than the Fieldfare, owing to its Thrush-like habit of frequenting, during hard frosts, hedgerow bottoms, and feeding on snails and the pupe of Lepidoptera. Its haunts and habits somewhat resemble those of the latter bird, and it arrives in this country generally some few days in advance of its equally well-known congener. In the autumn of 1894 I saw and heard both species for the first time on the same afternoon, viz. October 15th. My attention was attracted to the Redwing by its familiar “ wheet wheet”’ long before I perceived it, with a companion, perched aloft on the dead branch of a tree ina hedgerow. I oppose the doctrine that Redwings by nature are exclusively insectivorous, and only revert to berries as a last resource ; on their arrival in this country they immediately set to work in small flocks on the hips and haws, though I admit that later in the year, in open weather, they may frequently be seen in the pastures feeding on worms and snails and other insects. They frequent the meadows by day, and towards the close of the afternoon, just as dusk is coming on, may be seen in little straggling parties repairing to the shelter of shrubberies and plantations, where they spend the night. The Redwing is easily distinguishable from the Song- Thrush by a broadish white stripe over the eye, in addition to which it is a bird of gregarious habits, which the other is not. As an article of food its flesh is considered very delicate— *‘ better than the Fieldfare,” I have heard a good judge of things edible declare ; but this, of course, must bea matter of individual taste. Personally, I should say that a fat Blackbird in the ORIGINAL SKETCHES OF BRITISH BIRDS. 9 autumnal months, well hung and not too long before the fire, would run them both very close. Touching the vexed point of the Redwing nesting in this country, [am aware that it has been reported to have done so —indeed, on more than one occasion in my own county—but, though such may have been the case, it 1s quite out of the question that the mere ipse dixit of, it may be, an anonymous correspondent to some paper should be accepted as authoritative on the point. Actual and absolute proof of its nest and eggs having been obtained in this country has not yet been forth- coming, I fancy, and until the birds are killed at the nest and the eggs taken, ornithologists will do well to receive with the fullest reserve all affirmative statements that have hitherto appeared on the subject. It is very easy to make an assertion ; it is another matter to prove it. The writer has frequently been girded at as being too particular in his wish for indisputable evidence on sundry points connected with birds, but he maintains that it is a subject on which one cannot possibly be too particular. Only consider for a moment what distinguished modern writers on ornithology have done with a mass of flimsy and unsupported evidence relative to the appearance of this or that rare species in this or that part of the kingdom: why, they have rejected it as utterly unreliable; and had only a proper test been applied in the first instance to communications of the kind, ancient books on the subject of birds would have contained far less fiction. However, to return to the Redwing. I have had its eggs from Norway, and they much resemble small varieties of those of the Blackbird, the ground colour being almost entirely hidden by tiny streaks, which are evenly distributed over the whole surface. It has a sweet pleasing twittering kind of song as I have heard it, but I am not at all sure that I have heard the real thing, for the reason supplied by the quotation from ‘ A Spring and Summer in Lapland.’ ‘‘An Old Bushman” writes :—“‘ Of all the northern songsters, perhaps the Redwing stands first on the list, and is with justice called the northern Nightingale, for a sweeter song I never wish to listen to.” This is enthusiastic writing, which I can appreciate without, I regret, being in a position to endorse. I can never have heard the Redwing at its best. 10 THE ZOOLOGIST. THe Frevprare (T'urdus ptlaris). A bird of passage, and of more than common interest. It comes to our shores in the autumn and departs in the spring; and, though British nests and eggs have been reported as taken, I believe the gravest doubt encircles all such statements. I have special reasons for remembering this bird, and I will relate why. On two occasions I have publicly recorded observations of its existence in this country at what were deemed unusual dates, and on both occasions my communications were as publicly called in question, and it was insinuated that I had blundered in my identification,—in short, had mistaken the Mistle-Thrush for the Fieldfare. ‘That such errors are of frequent occurrence with those who do not make birds a particular study is, I freely admit, beyond question, and consequently there is no reason really why an obscure ornithologist like myself should feel hurt at the suggestion of such lamentable ignorance. All the same, the fact remains that in my own estimation I am just as likely to confuse the two species as any two letters of the alphabet. In the first case: in ‘The Vertebrate Animals of Leicester- shire and Rutland’ I recorded a Fieldfare’s exceptionally early appearance at Lowesby on Sept. 2nd, 1877,—it should have been printed 1878,—and I am at liberty here to amplify this brief notice with a few details, though I would first like to point out that in Mr. J. HE. Harting’s edition of ‘The Natural History of Selborne’ there is reference to a Fieldfare shot in a garden near Kirby Muxloe, in Leicestershire, on July 29th, 1864, and for- warded to the editor of ‘The Field’ for examination. It had been observed about the garden all the summer. With regard to the Fieldfare seen at Lowesby, however, I remember the occasion distinctly. A cheery companion and friend—alas ! long gone from these scenes—and myself had just started out shooting, and we had only got a Jittle distance beyond the plantations that fringe the lower side of the Hall, when my attention was suddenly arrested by a kind of chuckle with which I am infinitely more familiar in mid-winter than during the opening days of Partridge-shooting. The chuckle was repeated more than once, and in a twinkling I descried a Fieldfare perched high up in a lofty tree. I tried to stalk the bird, but it was far ORIGINAL SKETCHES OF BRITISH BIRDS. gt too wary for me, and just as it took wing, it again uttered that well-known laughing cackle, somewhat more briskly this time, which I have noticed is a common habit of the species on the moment of taking flight. I admit that I was “let down,” so to say, very courteously in ‘The Vertebrate Animals of Leicester- shire and Rutland,’ but there is no getting away from the fact that my note therein is immediately followed by a reference to the Mistle-Thrush being frequently mistaken by sportsmen for an early arrival of the Fieldfare, so I can draw my own conclusions. In the second case, I wrote as follows to ‘The Field’: “On the afternoon of Oct. 3rd I heard, saw, and could have shot (as the one closely pursued the other) two Fieldfares”’; and the Editor appended the following note: ‘‘ Although it would not be exceptionally early for Fieldfares to arrive, the action described points with more probability to the birds in question being Mistle-Thrushes, and the more so because there were only two of them instead of a small flock.”” This was rebuff number two. The latest date I recollect seeing Fieldfares staying in this country was on May 12th, 1879. On that morning I walked within gunshot of a cluster of five which were winging their way northwards, and had settled for a few moments on the top of a lofty poplar. With regard to the bird seen on Sept. 2nd, 1878, was it a pioneer of others to follow, or was it one that had been wounded and passed the summer with us? At all events, there seemed nothing wrong with its flight or general appearance when I was gazing at it. I have found this species roosting in tall thick hedges, but generally on the ground, and frequently in the furrows in the open fields, for I have two or three times walked nearly on to the top of them after 10 p.m. on dark nights; they cannot even then resist a chuckle when thus disturbed. I think, though, the more common roosting-place is on the ground in small woods and plantations, and, after wheeling about for some time in a flock, first alighting on one tall tree and then taking a flight and settling on another, they will finally descend on the point of dusk to the lower trees,—ash-pole spinneys being especially favoured haunts at this hour. After resting for a few moments in the branches, the birds drop silently down in quick succession to the 12 THE ZOOLOGIST. shelter and concealment afforded by the brushwood and under- srowth, and so bivouac for the night. I have been reminded that Mr. Seebohm, in a most delightful chapter on the Fieldfare, writes :—‘“‘ Instances are alleged of these birds having been flushed from the stubbles or the pastures at dusk; but this is the Fieldfare’s feeding-hour; and if shrubberies be near at hand, it is there they spend the night.”” This is a decided expression of opinion, and comes from a great authority; but though Field- fares may feed at dusk, a statement I venture to question, I doubt their doing so between the hours of ten and eleven at night, at which time, I repeat, I have often disturbed them from the open grass fields. Nevertheless, it is one thing to detect the slips and question the statements of previous writers, to whom we all owe so much; quite another to write a book; and I can only trust that any criticisms of mine, wherever they may appear, will not be regarded as written in a captious, cavilling spirit. I am too well aware that many of my predecessors, in whose footsteps I am humbly and laboriously treading, have forgotten more than I can ever hope to know. It is, of course, notorious that this species frequently breeds in large colonies. I have had its eggs from Norway, and was much struck by their resemblance to plain as well as handsome eggs of the Blackbird and the Ring-Ousel, with which, I should imagine, they may very easily be confounded at times by even expert oologists. Fieldfares have little knowledge of economy, otherwise they would better husband their resources in the matter of food supply. They will strip bushes of hips and haws in open weather when an insectivorous diet would prove equally sustaining, and then when a spell of frost and snow is over the country and there is nothing to be extracted from the fields, the produce of the hedges which has been prematurely attacked is liable to run short. I have dwelt at some length on this species, as it is both well-known and a favourite. In short, what the Swallow is to the spring, the Fieldfare is to the autumn,—they each in turn serve to mark an epoch in time’s revolving wheel. ORIGINAL SKETCHES OF BRITISH BIRDS. 13 Tue Buackpirp (T'urdus merula). As a songster this species stands high in my regard, and, though the statement may be treated as open to question, I am not at all sure that every lover of birds is able to discriminate between its notes and those of the Song-Thrush. This, however, by the way. It breeds early in the spring, and yet in actual priority of date yields, to my thinking, to such well-known birds as the Mistle-Thrush, Song-Thrush, Long-tailed Tit, and one or two others. At all events, though there may be very little in it,—a distinction without much of a difference, perhaps,—I! have noticed that the earliest nests which meet my eye as year succeeds year are never those of the Blackbird. It would be superfluous to waste time on a discussion of the nidification of so common a species, for its nest and eggs fall an easy prey to every roving lad, while, in addition, there is scarcely a book on the birds of these islands which does not thoroughly deal with the question. Though the sites chosen for building purposes exhibit an infinite and varied assortment, there is an uniformity about the eggs which is sadly disappointing to the ornithologist, always on the look-out for abnormal coloured specimens. Nevertheless, I have on occasions taken some most richly-marked eggs, approximating to the handsomest type of those of the Ring-Ousel; and in two consecutive years at the same spot in the same hedge I found nests containing five and four eggs respectively, the bold markings of which I have never seen equalled, certainly not surpassed. I mention this case, however, as much with a view of drawing attention to how addicted most birds are to repairing year after year to the same haunts for rearing their young, as to show how the particular type of an egg laid by any species may be pretty confidently looked for again. Because I quote only a single instance, I am not generalising from it alone; I have had proof in plenty of what I say. The unspotted variety of egg is, I believe, not uncommon, though I have only once met with it, and that was near to Mortimer’s Cross, in Herefordshire, in the year 1888. ‘The bird was on the nest, which was placed in a thorn-bush on the brink of the river Lugg; it contained four fresh eggs of a pale apple- 14 THE ZOOLOGIST. green colour, which I transferred without a pang to my collection, and which are frequently pointed at as “‘Starling’s” when the contents of my cabinet are on view to friends and acquaintances. I believe it was Pope who wrote “A little knowledge is a danger- ous thing,”’ and I shall make bold to add, “‘ especially where birds’ eggs are concerned.” My ill-success in not meeting with more specimens of this unspotted variety does not arise from slackness or laziness, as I never pass a Blackbird’s nest without inspecting its contents. Boys who meditate purchasing the eggs of Field- fares and Ring-Ousels will do well to be on their guard, as they bear a strong family likeness to those of the species under discussion. Blackbirds are somewhat prone to rearing a second brood in the same nest, and I have known less than a week elapse between the departure of the young and the laying of fresh eggs. In the spring of 1883 a pair of these birds possessed themselves of a vacated Mistle-Thrush’s nest for their second brood, and brought them off successfully. The earliest recorded date I have of an egg is March 16th, 1885. Pied varieties are occasionally met with; my youngest brother shot a lovely bird at Plumtree, near Nottingham, the black and white feathers being most evenly apportioned. But, in this connection, it was my own star that was destined to be in the ascendant on Oct. 19th, 1893, on which date I was staying with my friend Captain Quintin Dick at Hinton St. George, in Somersetshire, he having taken Lord Poulett’s extensive shoot- ings thereabout on a lease. A strong contingent of us had just commenced warfare on the Partridges in a large field of turnips, when I espied a white bird skimming away over the tops of them in front of the ‘“‘ gun” on my left, who happened to be my host. I heard him say sharply to one of the keepers, ‘‘ What the deuce is that ?”; and, though simultaneously I fairly screamed “‘ Shoot, shoot!” the bird was quickly out of range, and the responsive ‘‘bang, bang,” came too late to be effective. As luck would have it, however, there were a brace of birds not picked when’ we reached the boundary hedge, for the turnips were of tremendous growth, and, as some little delay appeared inevitable, Capt. Dick very goodnaturedly let me go off in pursuit of this rara avis, an under-keeper accompanying me, as apparently my only chance of ORIGINAL SKETCHES OF BRITISH BIRDS. 15 securing a shot was to lie in ambush, and have it driven towards me. For half an hour it led us a pretty dance, and we repeatedly had to change our tactics; and, though I felt I did not want to set eyes on another Partridge until I had “bagged” my own particular bird, I must confess to feeling considerable qualms of conscience all the time as to what the rest of the “guns” would think of my desertion and apparent wild-goose—alias, white blackbird—chase. However, the end occasionally justifies the means, as it did in this instance; for, just as I was on the point of abandoning the pursuit as hopeless, the bird proving as averse to being driven as stalked, I chanced a snap-shot at what at the moment of firing I thought quite a prohibitive range, and down it came,—a prodigious fluke, yes, I freely admit,—a stray corn having severed its pinion-bone, and probably not another gone near it. A more beautiful bird of the kind I have never seen, and, though a similar specimen in the South Kensington Museum runs it hard, I prefer the one | was lucky enough to kill at Hinton St. George. It is possible that someone or other will be found to blame me for what I have recorded in the light rather of a triumph—I deemed it one on the spur of the moment; but, though highly disapproving of the indiscriminate and senseless slaughter of rare species that might breed in greater numbers with us if left unmolested, I do not see that the capture of an abnormal-coloured Blackbird deserves reprobation, and especially when it was a marked bird, and the hand of almost every dweller in the district was against it. Indeed, considering the persecution it underwent, the wonder to me is that it managed to escape its doom for such a lengthened period. Had it been one of a pair of Golden Orioles nesting in the spring of the year in Kent, let us say, my action would have been most properly denounced as reprehensible in the highest degree. It is not after this manner, I have pre- sence of mind enough to know, that the cause of Natural History is best aided. However, it is far from my intention to offer an elaborate apology for what I did, and should probably do again to-morrow if I had the opportunity; ‘‘ collectors never know remorse, and seldom feel regret,’ and I am quite sure all my plunderings have not done one ten-thousandth part of the damage which a contrary wind inflicts at migration time. 16 THE ZOOLOGIST. The keeper on whose beat the white Blackbird was shot assured me that he had never seen it with a mate, and that he did not believe it had nested during the two years he had noticed it about the district. Such evidence as this is, of course, not conclusive on the point, though I think it extremely probable that his conjecture was right. Had it paired and assisted in the rearing of a brood, surely some of the young would have been abnormally marked, and, in this case, he would have observed them on his daily rounds. A young and intelligent gamekeeper would let very little escape his eye. A word about pied Blackbirds, which, to my mind, are more subject to variations of plumage than any other species. I have seen it stated—I cannot say where, for I read pages and pages on the subject of birds almost daily —that the white feathers turn in time to black, and that even in the case of albinos nature in due course resumes her sway; the argument being that, if such were not the case, we should be continually meeting with ab- normal-coloured species. Again, some other writer has recorded his conviction that albinos never revert to the normal plumage, and that natural white feathers always remain white; but that when resulting from disease they will resume the proper colours at the moulting period. The cause of preternatural plumage in birds need not be gone into here, but my impression 1s—once white or pied, almost always white or pied; while I view with some little incredulity the contention that disease is accountable for some of our pied birds, and that when they resume their normal health they also resume their ordinary plumage. What evidence is there in support of this? Surely it is more or less assumption? It is impossible to decide offhand about disease in ~ a bird, especially when it is at large; while the few pied Black-~ birds I have known kept in cages have never reverted to the normal colouring after moulting, although I have heard tell of an — instance or two to the contrary. Of course, the obvious retort to this would be that none of them owed their white feathers to disease. So be it. I have on a few occasions found six eggs in nests of this species, but five and four are more commonly met with, while it is quite the exception for a clutch to be represented by less than the last-named number. ORIGINAL SKETCHES OF BRITISH BIRDS. ae There is one feature in the life-history of the Blackbird on which I have not commented, but to which I should like to just cursorily allude before bringing this particular sketch to a close. I refer to a tendency on the part of individual birds to indulge in mimicry; and though it has been very seldom indeed that I have without shadow of misgiving detected one uttering notes that were alien to the species, I met with a very noteworthy instance—quite recently in the Bala district—of a Blackbird copying the notes of a Curlew. ‘I'he imitator sang from the Same eminence on several consecutive afternoons during the month of May in 1895, and, though the reproduction of the borrowed tones was not so true to the original as that essayed by many a Starling in the same locality, it was impossible to close one’s ears to the fact that for once in a way I had made the acquaintance of a Blackbird that not only took delight in mim- icry, but modelled its refrain on the lines of that of which it had almost daily experience. It may well be that the tuneful lay of the Blackbird is com- menced at different seasons in different parts of the country,—I mean that the species will probably be heard in full song some days earlier in the spring of the year in a southern county like Hampshire, for instance, than in the more northerly regions of the British Islands. Considerations of this kind may not un- naturally be held to detract from the value of any given date respecting the first heard song of any particular species; but, as a comparative guide to my brother field-naturalists who take pleasure in noting the humblest details where birds are concerned, I may incidentally observe that I have never heard the Blackbird / at the zenith of his musical powers in Leicestershire previously ‘ to February 20th, nor, I may add, the Chaffinch previously to February 19th. In this connection, however, much will obviously depend on the atmospheric conditions prevailing from year to year. Zool. 4th ser. vol. ILI., January, 1899 C 18 THE ZOOLOGIST. EARLY MAN IN BRITAIN. SPURIOUS FLINT IMPLEMENTS. By W. G. CuaARKE. THe making of spurious flint implements is an industry by no means confined to the last few years. Practically as soon as it was found that the evidences of man’s handiwork from the river gravels of England had a marketable value, men skilled in flint-knapping began to make imitations of them, ‘“ Flint Jack”’ especially obtaining notoriety for the skill with which he imitated prehistoric weapons. Ata meeting of the Norfolk and Norwich Archeologists’ Society in 1861, Mr. Pengelly stated that he knew there were some clever people in the neighbourhood of Caistor who could make ancient flint knives. And when the Suffolk Institute of Archeology met at Thetford in 1866, one of the workmen excavating gravel told the members that if they but gave him a few days’ notice prior to their next visit he could procure as many implements for them as they wished. Need one doubt that he looked for assistance to the skilled knappers at Brandon? The natives of Hast Anglia do not as a rule try to sell spurious bronze or iron weapons to the unsuspecting arche- ologist: they limit their operations to imitations of flint imple- ments. Rusty horse-shoe nails have, however, been offered me as iron spear-heads; and an egg-spoon that had been buried about ten years relegated to the Lake-dwellers. But in these cases the false descriptions were made through ignorance, and not of deliberate purpose as is the case with many of those who sell spurious flint implements. The district is so noted, and is visited by so many archeologists in search of flint imple- ments, that there are unrivalled opportunities of foisting off forged specimens as genuine antiques. The Brandon knappers, with their marvellous inherited skill and constant practice in making gunflints, turn out specimens of prehistoric arrow-heads EARLY MAN IN BRITAIN. 19 and axes that might deceive even the elect. It is probable that this little Suffolk town turns out more modern imitations of ancient flint implements than does all the rest of England. One collector, to prevent deception, made it a condition of purchase that he should himself see the finding of the implements. This was all very well; but anyone that has tried it knows that this searching is a wearisome occupation, and the results are by no means always commensurate with the time employed. What did the knappers do then but manufacture their arrow-heads, and bury them overnight in certain marked spots. And how could the worthy antiquary have any suspicions when he saw the implements turned up before his eyes. Not long ago a certain landowner in Suffolk offered a premium for each flint implement found upon his estate. ‘They came in units at longer or shorter intervals, until one of the men hit upon the happy expedient of buying the modern implements at a cheap rate and then selling them to his master, a course which he will doubtless pursue until that day when “‘ comes the reck’ning, the dreadful reck’ning, and men smile no more.”’ Of late years there has been quite a revival in the manufacture of spurious implements in north-west Suffolk, and undoubtedly those turned out are beautiful specimens of the knapper’s art. In fact they are too beautiful and perfect. Rarely indeed do we find an arrow-head, for instance, that was discarded or lost thousands of years ago, quite perfect. Hither the point, the stem, or one of the barbs is damaged. But these modern implements are mathe- matically correct, with never a chip in the wrong place. The friction of the sand and the action of the atmosphere always causes a polish on the ancient implements, and to effect this on the modern implements, which are somewhat dull on being first chipped, they are buried for some weeks in hot sand, and care is taken when they are removed to leave some of this adhering. And when you express doubts as to the genuineness of the implements, the vendors triumphantly point out the soil which still adheres. Polishing with rags is also one of the methods of imparting an antiquated appearance to a spurious implement, and the process is more rapid than that of the hot sand. There is more often than not a middleman between the knapper and the coliector. He obtains the name of the latter c2 20 THE ZOOLOGIST. from some scientific directory, and offers to send some im- plements on approval. Some of them may be genuine; a few are almost bound to be spurious. If asked to guarantee the latter as genuine, the middleman will not do so, but will guarantee that they came from a certain town or village, the Suffolk men Spurious Flint Arrow-heads. working chiefly from Brandon, Lakenheath, Eriswell, and Mil- denhall. From 5s. 6d. to half-a-crown is generally asked for these arrow-heads; but, should the archeologist know them to be forged, one shilling or even sixpence will be taken, which is © by no means dear, when it is considered that oftentimes two or — three hours’ skilled labour is involved in their production. As many as ten varieties of spurious arrow-heads are made, the most common types being leaf-shaped and barbed, the latter forming an almost perfect equilateral triangle. The workmanship is, asa rule, extremely beautiful. Mr. Frank Norgate, of Bury St. Edmunds, has some splendid specimens which he himself made. A bluish-white EARLY MAN IN BRITAIN. 21 coating to denote age is sometimes obtained by boiling the im- plement for weeks in a kettle, and then polishing on a polishing wheel, of course removing the distinctive character of the ridges. The greater proportion of these arrow-heads are made of French flint, yellow and semitransparent. | Spurious Flint Axes: chipped ones of flint; unchipped, of plaster. ‘Scrapers are very rarely made. Genuine ones are so common in the district as to render imitations unprofitable. I have a spurious flint dagger in my possession, which would deceive none but the veriest novice. Chipped axes are, next to arrow-heads, the implements most frequently manufactured. As they command good prices and are somewhat difficult of detection, their disposal to enthusiastic and unsuspicious collectors is a remunerative calling. A spurious Neolithic axe of grey opaque flint, ground and polished, was offered to a friend of the writer by a Brandon workman. It was stated to have been found in a gravel pit at a depth of twenty feet! It is worthy of remembrance that gum is 22 THE ZOOLOGIST. of material assistance in making a good polished surface. Lan- ceolate knives, partaking more of the character of the Danish Specimens, are also most successfully worked. The latest development of the spurious implement trade, however, is probably that by which ground and polished Neolithic axes are made of plaster. The seat of this industry is somewhat uncertain. The implements are remarkably well made of a plaster composition, cleverly coloured and coated with gum, and are difficult of detection if one is unsuspicious. A request to the would-be vendor to be allowed to cut the article in question will generally elicit an indignant denial, and thus open the eyes of the purchaser. ‘These plaster axes have been offered for sale in the Suffolk villages of Hriswell, Brandon, and Lakenheath. Glass arrow-heads may also be purchased at Brandon; but few col- lectors would view these otherwise than as modern curiosities ; and it is doubtful if (as has been suggested) collectors could be found who would purchase them as American weapons. I am also informed, although without personal experience of the fact, that Paleolithic implements and weapons are made in Stoke Newington, and passed round among the labourers wherever excavations are going on. It is also stated that even the British Museum authorities have been deceived by some of these imple- ments, so perfectly are they made. As specimens of a modern industry which is fast dying out, these spurious implements have a certain interest; but their value in furthering our knowledge of prehistoric man is of course nothing, and collectors would therefore do well to be on their guard. The writer must express his indebtedness to Mr. F. N. Haward, of Chelmsford, for some of the foregoing information. ( 23 ) VARYING FECUNDITY IN BIRDS. By W. Storrs Fox, M.A. In a very interesting article in the December number of ‘The Zoologist, Mr. Basil Davies attempts to explain why some species of birds lay more eggs than others. Personally I feel grateful to him for suggesting this enquiry, and for the reasons he assigns for the remarkable diversity in the number of eggs laid by different species. If, therefore, I criticise to some extent the theory which he propounds, I hope that it will be un- derstood that I do so in no unfriendly spirit. Mr. Davies compares the reproduction of birds and mammals. He says: “ Birds feel it their duty not only to produce a certain number of offspring each year, but also to bring a certain number to maturity.’ To illustrate this he compares the Cat and the Nightingale. The former breeds at stated periods whether you destroy her offspring or not; but the latter at once prepares to produce a second brood if the first is destroyed. The truth is that the main object of every organism is to reproduce itself. Each species has its own method of bringing this about. The Cat provides for the peopling of the world by future Cats as thoroughly as the Nightingale provides against the extermination of its kind. These facts are familiar to us, but it is not easy to explain them. Under natural conditions the Indian Elephant does not become exterminated, nor the Brown Rat exceed certain limits. On the one hand, with the former the period of gestation is about nineteen months, and rarely is more than one produced at a birth (Roy. Nat. Hist. vol. il. p. 536; Darwin estimated that though a pair might live to be one hundred years old, their offspring would probably average only six, ‘ Origin of Species,’ @th edit. p. 51); whereas the Rat bears “four or five times in the year from four to ten blind and naked young, which are in their turn able to breed at an age of about six months, the time of gestation being about twenty days” (Flower and Lydekker’s 24 THE ZOOLOGIST. ‘Mammals,’ p. 475). The immense number of eggs laid by some fish, and the amazingly rapid increase of some lowly animals, are well-known facts. Each species has its own place in nature, and produces sufficient offspring to keep that place filled. But how this is regulated is another matter. We are sure that individuals are quite unconscious and regardless of the requirements of their species. Probably the food-supply itself is the chief factor, increasing fertility in times of plenty, and checking it in times of scarcity. With birds is it not mainly the food-supply which confines the breeding to-a certain season ? Can it be supposed that our insectivorous summer visitants usually nest only once in the season because they feel that the time for migration is approach- ing, and a second nest is therefore useless? I understand Mr. Davies to suggest this. These birds leave us partly because the supply of insect-food is running short, and partly because a mighty impulse drives them to go. But they cannot be conscious weeks beforehand that the time for their departure is drawing near. If Finches as a rule go in for a second family, I would suggest two possible reasons, though I do so with diffidence, for I feel that I have not sufficient data as evidence for them. (1) Do not our resident Finches as a rule begin to nest earlier than the migratory Warblers, and so get the start of them? (2) If the particular food needed for feeding young birds is decreasing, the parent Finches can provide their own sustenance in the form of seeds, and so they will not need to draw upon the insect-food to such an extent as Warblers. Moreover, young Finches soon become capable of digesting seed. Nature as a whole keeps those numbers under control. I take the rules which Mr. Davies gives to amount to this :— Every individual does what it can to produce offspring, and to increase the number of its species. We can only suppose that it is quite unconscious of what it 1s doing. Now, as to the number of eggs laid by Finches and Warblers. Mr. Davies gives five as the average clutch; and then proceeds to show why this is the only suitable number. I cannot agree with him that a hen of small size could not well lay more than five. As he himself states, Tits may lay very many more. It seems probable, however, that the number may be limited by the catering powers VARYING FECUNDITY IN BIRDS. 25 of the parents, and certainly by the covering capabilities of the sitting hen. Mr. Davies allows that the food-supply may affect the parents, for he says that the number of eggs is often less when insect food is not abundant. And, again, he gives as a reason for the two broods of Finches, &c., that ‘‘it is necessary for them to produce eight or ten of their kind in a season to aid in killing off from the cultivated lands the vast swarms of insects to which the summer has given birth;”’ which means that where the supply of insects is great there will be plenty of birds to prey upon them. But this ought to apply equally to the Warblers, &c. Mr. Davies proceeds to give reasons why in one family of birds the usual number of eggs laid by the species of that family is large; whereas in another family the reverse is true. With regard to Game Birds, he suggests that the large number of eggs is to meet a large amount of destruction. It seems to me that not only with Game Birds, but with all birds, this is the secret of a larger or smailer number of eggs. Darwin wrote: ‘“ The Fulmar Petrel lays but one egg, yet itis believed to be the most nume- rous bird in the world” (‘ Origin,’ p. 52).* And I should suppose that the causes which controlled the average numbers of eggs of different species were—(1) the supply of food; (2) the number of enemies; (3) the power of self-defence or escape. It is not possible to accept some of Mr. Davies’ reasons. For instance, he supposes that the Nightjar lays two eggs, because several gaping young birds would be a conspicuous object. As they only gape after dusk, no number of them would be con- spicuous. I know no object less conspicuous than a Nightjar covering its young or eggs. Again, is not the reason for the single egg of the Guillemot to be looked for in the special defences of this bird rather than in the shape of the egg? No doubt this shape is a protection. If Guillemots’ eggs were shaped like those of most birds, very few would be hatched. But the one egg is laid in a place of com- parative safety, and the bird itself is quick on the wing and an apt diver, and for part of the year lives far from land, and so is probably less subject than most birds to attacks of foes. * Mr. A. R. Wallace has thus modified this statement :—‘‘ The Fulmar Petrel exists in myriads at St. Kilda and other haunts of the species, yet it lays only one egg.” (‘ Darwinism,’ p. 30). 26 THE ZOOLOGIST. Though Pigeons only lay two eggs, they produce several broods in the year, : But the number of eggs in a clutch does not only vary in different families or different species, but in different individuals of the same species. This is clearly shown in books on birds, where a varying number of eggs is nearly always given in the account of a species. I take this variation to be the result of— (1) the abundance or otherwise of the food-supply; (2) the age of the hen. But there are curious local conditions which are difficult to explain. For instance, Mr. Howard Saunders, in his ‘ Manual,’ gives the number of a Jackdaw’s eggs as four to six. But years ago I was birdsnesting in East Yorkshire and found two Jack- daws’ nests each containing seven eggs. Whereas in North Derbyshire I have examined numbers of their nests, and have never found more than four eggs or young birds in any one of them. Also in the same district, with one exception, I have always found four eggs as the clutch of the Dabchick; but in the ‘Manual’ the clutch is given as four to six. A most interesting example of the effect of food-supply upon the number of eggs of individuals is be found in the official ‘“ Report on the Vole Plague in Scotland in 1889-1892.” At that time the Short-eared Owl, which had hitherto been a rare breeding species there, became a common one, many of these birds laying ten to thirteen eggs; whereas six is the ordinary clutch. Moreover, in some cases there were second broods.* Should Mr. Davies or others wish for another interesting study in connection with birds and their eggs, Iam sure that they would find the meaning of colours an engrossing subject. * No attempt is here made to discuss the relation of fertility to length of life. We are at present considering what are those factors which tend to limit or increase productiveness in birds. But length of life does not affect their egg-bearing powers; though the converse of this is probably true. Roughly, it may be said that the number of eggs laid by a species corresponds to the amount of destruction to which it is subjected. But it must be re- membered that such destruction—by starvation, epidemics, or enemies—is more or less a fixed quantity, and therefore is not accidental so far as the species is concerned, though with regard to the individual it may seem to be so (cf. Weismann’s ‘ Essay on the Duration of Life,’ p.11). If for a time more than the average numbers of a species are destroyed by enemies, the quantity of food per head will necessarily increase, and the birds of that species will become temporarily more fertile, as a result of more liberal feeding. But, should such additional destruction become a normal and per- manent condition, it may be essential that the lives of the individuals of the species be prolonged, in order that the species may avoid extinction, ( 27 ) NOTES AND QUERIES. MAMMALIA. RODENTIA. Climbing Powers of the Long-tailed Field Mouse.— During autumn and early winter Long-tailed Field Mice (Mus sylvaticus) eat the kernels of wild rose seeds in large numbers. To obtain the hips, the Mice climb among the briers, often travelling to the extremities of slender twigs in order to reach the fruit. The hips are nipped off with about a quarter of an inch of stalk attached, and if there be a bird’s nest within easy reach are invariably taken to it. A search in the leafless hedgerows will result in the finding of many nests which the Mice have used. A Thrush’s or Black- bird’s is perhaps the favourite, but, failing this, a Hedge-Sparrow’s or Green- finch’s, or even the fragile structure of a Whitethroat will serve. The Mice do not eat the fruit itself, but extract the seeds through a hole nibbled in the side, and, gnawing these with their chisel-like teeth, obtain the kernels. The empty seeds are left with the red pulp of the fruit, and I have seen piled up in a Thrush’s nest as much of this débris as would fill a quart measure. In the neighbourhood of Alderley Edge I trapped several Long- tailed Field Mice in birds’ nests last November—one of them in a Green- finch’s nest more than seven feet from the ground. The stomachs of those I examined were filled with a whitish mass of finely comminuted kernels, one containing in addition a small fragment of red fruit. It would appear that birds’ nests are resorted to not merely on account of their convenient proximity to the growing fruit, for husks of acorns which must have been carried from the ground are sometimes present among the hips. A further reason may be that the Mice, when feeding in the nests, are comparatively Secure from the attacks of their many enemies. — CHARLES OLDHAM (Alderley Edge). AVES. Flock of Crossbills at Yeovil, Somerset.—I received on Dec. 17th, from Mr. E. Little, gun manufacturer, of Yeovil, six Crossbills (Lowia curvirostra), shot from a large flock on Dec. 15th by a local farmer. Three of them were too much damaged to allow of preservation. — STanLey Lewis (Wells, Somerset). 28 THE ZOOLOGIST. Crossbill in North Wales.— Under date Dec. 7th, Mr. Arthur C. Parker forwarded an adult male of this species (Loaia curvirostra) from Bettws-y-coed for identification. He says “there are more cocks than hens, and the birds have now been hereabout three weeks.” Subsequently Mr. Parker informed me the flock is only a small one, and that unfortu- nately many of its members have been wantonly destroyed. To the best of my knowledge, the last incursion of these birds in North Wales occurred in December, 1887; but a flock of them was seen in Delamere Forest, Cheshire, at the end of 1889. — Rospert NewsrEap (Grosvenor Museum, Chester). Nesting of the Goshawk in Yorkshire.— A beautiful fully adult female Goshawk (Astur palumbarius) has recently* been presented to the Norwich Castle Museum, which was shot at its nest a few days before the 13th of May, 1893, by Mr. W. M. Frank, a keeper on an estate at Westerdale, Grosmont, Yorkshire. Mr. Frank states that the nest, which contained four fresh eggs, was placed on the branch of a slender spruce-fir near the trunk, and about twenty feet from the ground. It was very large and flat, and the bird was very wild and difficult to get a shot at; he had to build a shelter of boughs to hide in, and enticed her by imitating her cry. Whether she had a mate, Mr. Frank is unable to state with certainty ; he is under the impression that she had, but he did not see two birds together. Two of the eggs were sent to the Norwich Museum with the bird, but the other two are lost or broken. The Goshawk is in the present day one of the rarest of its family in eastern England, and in mature plumage so seldom met with that I only know of a single individual which has been procured in Norfolk, perhaps the county most favoured by its visits ; and since the instance reported by Colonel ‘Thornton, who received a nestling from the forest of Rothiemurchus “ prior to 1804,” I believe there is no authentic instance of its having bred in Great Britain, although it has been suspected of having done so. That this bird is not a more frequent visitor to this country is perhaps a matter of surprise, seeing that it is a common species in Central Europe, Germany, and Scandinavia, and there are still many apparently suitable localities for its nesting should it show an inclination to do so; but whether it would escape the attentions of the ubiquitous gamekeeper in such an event is very doubtful. Mr. Headley Noble, who was instrumental in bringing this interesting occur- rence to light, suggests that the bird may have been an escaped trained Falcon, arguing from the facts that one bird only was seen, that the eggs were quite fresh, and that the bird was mutilated by the loss of a toe. As to the first suggestion, it has been stated by Mr. Frank that he was by no * Note received Dec. 6th, 1898.—Eb. NOTES AND QUERIES. 29 means certain that there was not a male bird—in fact, he remained till dark, after shooting the female, expecting its arrival, and spent the two following days in the wood with the same object, and suggests that the fact of there being several people working round the wood (a very small one) might have scared it away. As to the eggs being quite fresh, he says he did not allow the bird time to sit before shooting her. Mr. Noble’s third reason—should the bird be an escape—may be of importance as a means of identification. The claw of one of the toes of the left foot is broken, which may have been done by shot, and the inner toe of the right foot is missing, evidently an old injury, as the stump is quite healed. Should such a bird have been missed about the time named, I hope this feature may recall it to the memory of its former owner. ‘The question arises, would a trained Falcon, on obtaining its liberty, construct a nest and lay its complement of eggs unaccompanied by a mate? A female Goshawk has produced eggs in Mr. Gurney’s aviary, but of course under circumstances which were not favourable to the construction of a nest. Prof. Newton, however, has called attention to a very interesting passage in Gairdner’s edition of the ‘Paston Letters’ (see Lubbock’s ‘ Fauna of Norfolk,’ edition 1879, p. 225), which shows that these trained Falcons were so far sedentary in their habits that, provided the locality were suitable, a liberated bird might be expected to remain and nest. John Paston, writing to his brother in November, 1472, laments that a Goshawk sent him was so injured in transit that “she shall never serve but to lay egges.” He therefore pro- poses to “ cast hyr in Thorpe wood and a tarsell with hyr,” that she might “eyer.” This seems to indicate not only that the breeding of the Goshawk in the extensive woods which at that date surrounded the city of Norwich was not an unlooked-for event, but also, as Prof. Newton remarks, that the writer had some experience of a similar case; it will be noticed, however, that he proposed to supply her with a “ tarsell.".—TuHomas SourHwELL (Norwich). Flamingo in Merionethshire.—Early in October last my brother, Mr. M.H. E. Haigh, wrote to me stating that, aftera heavy gale from the south on the 26th and 27th of September, he had seen, on the 28th, a large bird on the estuary known as the ‘ Traeth-bach,” which, from his description, I had no doubt was a Flamingo (Phenicopterus roseus). I was, however, unable to come down until the 20th of October, and on the following day succeeded in shooting the bird. It was excessively wild, rising, as a rule, nearly a quarter of a mile off, and flying round the estuary in large circles for quite twenty minutes each time it was put up. We finally got a shot at about ninenty yards with a heavy shoulder gun by allowing the boat to drift with the tide. It was in good condition, and showed no sign of 30 THE ZOOLOGIST. having been in captivity. The beak was flesh-coloured at the base and black at the point ; eyes brownish yellow, legs and feet bright pink. After being skinned the carcase was examined by Mr. Cordeaux, who tells me that it was excessively fat. The stomach contained nothing but fine gravel ; the bird was, however, shot very early in the morning. —C. H. Caton Haicux (Aber-ia, Penrhyndeudraeth, Merionethshire, North Wales). Scoters in South Hants (?).—Every Hampshire naturalist must have read with astonishment the statement made by Mr. Percival-Westell (‘ Zoologist,’ 1898, p. 505) as regards Scoters (Gidemia nigra) being common in Hayling Island and the Isle of Wight “all the year round, so doubtless breed there.” Indeed a ‘‘record” for Hampshire. But, alas! the writer gave away his case when he said they were called ‘Isle of Wight Parsons,” for, as it is well known, that is the local name for the Common Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo). Moreover, the Scoter is a very rapid flying bird, and never “lazily wings” its way. We have the best authority for saying that the Scoter is very rarely—if ever—in the south of Hants in the summer, and we are doubtful whether there is any record of its breeding here.—ALEc GoLpNEY HEaD ey (Portchester, Hants). Nesting Habits of the Moorhen.—In the last number of ‘ The Zoolo- gist (1898, p. 506) there appears a note asking for the results of observa- tions by other ornithologists of the nesting habits of Gallinula chloropus. In my own experience as a collector I never found the eggs of this species covered during the absence of the parent birds—in fact, in every case the eggs could be seen as soon as the nest was discovered. [I remember a nest which I found in a small pit near here on April 29th, 1898, containing a full clutch of eggs. Although the eggs were boldly marked, and both nest and eggs perfectly visible from the bank, there was not the slightest attempt at concealment by covering them up. A few weeks later I came suddenly upon a pair of Moorhens in a small pit at Ashley, Cheshire. The birds, one of which I saw quite distinctly before it saw me, flew away, and I at once searched for the nest, which I found quite exposed on the opposite side of the pit to which I had seen the parent birds. As there were only two eggs in it, and not a full clutch, perhaps this latter instance does not furnish sufficient data on which to found an opinion; but I think other ornitholo- gists will agree with me that at any rate in miany cases the eggs of the Moorhen are left uncovered.— GraHam RensHaw (Sale Bridge House, Sale, Manchester). I notice in the last issue of ‘The Zoologist,’ 1898, p. 506, a note by Mr. Hewitt on the nidification of the Moorhen, and an invitation to field naturalists to confirm or otherwise whether the sitting bird covers the eggs on leaving the nest. At a small lake in a thickly wooded district near NOTES AND QUERIES, 31 Bath, by invitation, I spent a delightful May dav in 1897 with this species. Having procured the assistance of the gamekeeper, I was rowed to where the rushes grew, and examined a dozen or more nests, nearly all containing eggs; one with four eggs in it, I remember distinctly, would have been difficult to find by anyone but an experienced ornithologist, on account of the eggs being almost hidden from view by the decayed portions of the rushes. They had without doubt been carefully concealed by the parent birds, and probably by the female after depositing her egg. This nest, or rather more than receptacle for the eggs, was situated on one of the fallen and collected masses of reeds, &c., in the centre of the lake, and had I asked my companion I do not think he could have pointed the exact spot where the eggs were. Atthe several nests around the never-failing springs in the neatly arranged gardens of the Bishop’s Palace, Wells, I have never found the eggs concealed. Asa brief summary, I conclude that until the full clutch of eggs is laid they may or may not be hidden, according to the abundance of Jays or Magpies in the neighbourhood ; but after in- cubation has commenced it would be an exceptional case to find the eggs concealed, by reason that the sitting bird would not absent herself long enough from the nest. to allow of the visitation of an egg-sucker, although I have, in company with the above-mentioned keeper, watched a Magpie for hours, perched immediately over a sitting Pheasant, waiting patiently until the time arrived for her to feed.—Stanutey Lewis (Wells, Somerset). Mr. Hewitt asks for the experience of others with regard to the Moor- hen’s nest. May I state that I have never seen any covering over the eggs of this bird, though I have found numbers of nests in my own and other counties? I see no suggestion of such a habit in ‘Yarrell’ or Howard Saunders’s ‘ Manual.’ Butin Seebohm’s ‘ History of British Birds ’ (vol. ii. p. 561) there is this statement:—‘‘ The Waterhen yenerally covers her eggs, when she leaves the nest, with pieces of surrounding vegetation.’ — W. Storrs Fox (St. Anselm’s, Bakewell). Little Bustard and Great Shearwater at Lowestoft.— Early in May, 1898, a male Little Bustard (Otis tetrux), in full summer plumage—a con- dition in which it is very rarely met with in this country, and the first in- stance known to me in the eastern counties—was killed at Kessingland, near Lowestoft, Suffolk. For obvious reasons the event was not made public till after the close-time had expired, when a photograph of the bird was sent to me. On the 14th November, 1898, the fresh skin of a Great Shearwater (Puffinus major), which had been brought in by one of the Lowestoft fishing boats, was sent for my inspection by Mr. Bunn of that town, who also had three live Storm Petrels about that time. Both the above-mentioned birds are now in a local collection.—THoMas SoUTHWELL (Norwich). 32 THE ZOOLOGIST. Avocet in Dorset. — On Nov. 12th, 1898, I received from one of my collectors a fine female Avocet (Recurvirostra avocetta). The bird had been seen in the district for several days, but was exceedingly wild; it was, how- ever, eventually secured during a foggy day.—E. Bay is (Birmingham). Terns in the Isle of Man.—Referring to former notes (Zool. 1896, p. 471), I may mention that a dead bird found this season at the Tern colony there described, and which is still occupied, proved, on examination of the beak and wing, to he Sterna arctica. But an even more interesting discovery was that of the nesting of Sterna minuta, a species, 1 believe, never before recorded in Man. On 22nd June last I found a small colony of this bird on a sandy barren close to the coast; I saw two clutches of two eggs each, and again a single egg. All these were laid on the bare sand, with no lining whatever, and scarcely any perceptible nest hollow. Many stones were scattered over the ground; there was little vegetation, and that very small and scattered.— P. Ratre (Castletown, Isle of Man). Food of Grebes.—Two Sclavonian Grebes (Podicipes auritus, Linn.) have been sent to me this winter, and when mounting the last one, on Dec. 19th, I found in its stomach, in addition to the feathers and elytra of water-beetles that I discovered in the first specimen, numbers of caterpillars, which I sent on to a well-known entomologist, who kindly tells me that they are the larvee of one of the Crane-flies, which are well known as the destruc- tive grubs of the Daddy Longlegs, or Tommy Taylor, as it is called in parts of the county (Tipula oleracea}. These Grebes have been by no means uncommon this winter, and were on a large expanse of inland flood-water, where I have had some good shooting with the lessee in single-handed . punts with big guns, when the water has been out and Ducks abundant. I take it that, the meadows being flooded, the grubs which generally feed at the roots of grasses, &c., climbed up into the fences, bushes, or anywhere they could, and so were secured by the Grebes; for, good divers as they undoubtedly are, I scarcely think they would pull up the grass by the roots in twelve or fourteen feet of water to hunt for grubs. — OxLEY GRABHAM (Chestnut House, Heworth, York). ( 33 ) NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. ——___ —— Colour in Nature, a Study in Biology. By Marion J. NEwsiain, D.Sc. (Lond.). John Murray. Tue colours of plants and animals, or rather their super- ficial colourations, have always attracted naturalists, generally exciting admiration, and sometimes provoking enquiry. In earlier days problems of this description were disposed of by the invocation of teleology, or the doctrine of design, which afforded no explanation, and simply demonstrated an unknown quantity. The Darwinian epoch introduced what may be called the Utili- tarian Theory, by which animal colouration was controlled by ‘natural selection” for useful purposes in the struggle for existence. In each case design is implied, but in the one it is more or less a theological conception, while in the other it is represented as a natural factor. The result is that teleology has died a natural death, while the Utilitarian Theory has become rampant. The “simple primrose” which was “ nothing more ” to the amiable teleologist, has developed into the mighty Banian tree by the aid of current theory. We had almost forgotten that colour represented a physical or chemical process, in our estima- tion of its adaptive and protective nature. The purpose of Miss Newbigin’s book may be said to bring back the subject of colouration in nature to a technical treat- ment; to remove it from the domain of pure theory; to glance at it throughout the vegetable and animal kingdoms; and to describe its essence without either attempting to explain its purpose, or accepting some other very feasible and popular explanations now current. The differences between pigmental and structural colours are fully explained, and those colours classified. In the first, as is well known, hemoglobin and chlorophyll play their great parts, while pigments, ‘‘ which are definitely waste products, or are produced by the modification of waste products,” are now Zool. 4th ser. vol. III., January, 1899. D 34 THE ZOOLOGIST. being seriously studied. When we remember the deadly effects of such “ waste products ” on the higher vertebrates, and that the yellow pigment found in the wings of many of the Pieride are due to “ modifications of the ordinary waste products of the organism,” we are forced with the authoress to suppose “that the wings of butterflies, being relatively non-vital parts, can have poisonous substances stored up in them without injury to the organism, and that therefore the utilisation of waste products as colouring agents can only occur in cases where the coloured structures are not intimately connected with the blood system.” The standpoint of this bookis the physiological demonstra- tion of animal colouration, the nature and elements of the colour itself, and not its evolutionary life-purposes. This treatment is neither sympathetic with, nor destructive to, the general concep- tion of Protective resemblance and Mimicry. Colour alone must of course fall under the domain of Physiology and Chemistry, as, and in the same sense, all animal structure does, but this treat- ment does not explain its development in variety and markings; it only gives us its composites, and does not demonstrate its action as a force in the struggle for existence. In the last chapter, which is devoted to a discussion of ‘* The relation of facts to theories,” a rapid survey is given of the principal and perhaps most popular lines of modern speculation, and if Miss Newbigin has not come to bless, at all events most naturalists will agree with her concluding sentences: ‘“‘. . . . in spite of the fluency with which so many people talk of the meaning of colour in organisms, the subject is as incomplete on the theoretical as on the physiological side. It seems reasonable to believe that the two deficiencies are related, and that a little more physiology will arm the theorists with better weapons. In the meantime, we cannot end a book on colour more fitly than by an appeal for more facts.” This volume contains many facts relating to animal coloura- tion, and can be studied as well by a naturalist with a theory as by one who possesses it not. The bibliographical references at the end of the volume will assist a student of this fascinating subject. | { | | | NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. 35 Flashlights on Nature. By Granr Atuen With 150 I[llustra- tions by Frederick Knock. Geo. Newnes, Lim. Tuts book is a happy combination of the literary versatility of the author—too little remembered as the writer of ‘The Colour-Sense, — and of the conscientious illustrations of Mr, Enock, who as described by Mr. Grant Allen is ‘“‘ an enthusiastic and observant naturalist, who thinks nothing of sitting up all night if so he may catch a beetle’s egg at the moment of hatch- ing; and who will keep his eye to the microscope for twelve hours at a stretch, relieved only by occasional light refreshment in the shape of a sandwich, if so he may intercept some rare chrysalis at its moment of bursting,” &c. These sketches, or “ flashlights,” are written in the clear and easy style which is usually termed ‘’ popular,” but which will well repay the perusal of ‘“‘ serious” readers. Under titles which smack of what is sometimes described as “sensational,” we find that ‘“‘a beast of prey” is no other than our old friend “ the common garden spider,’ of which a very full and interesting account is given, and a female of which — ‘* Rosalind ’’—was observed closely through the whole of a season. This spider was seen to attack and conquer wasps, a subject recently dis- cussed in these pages. ‘The doings of Shrikes are described as “A Woodland Tragedy,” and in discussing the capricious cha- racter of their distribution in this country, our author accepts a now very general view, ‘‘ that this relative frequency or scarcity depends upon the distribution of their proper food-insects.” Indeed, just as we all know that ‘‘an army fights upon its stomach,” so we are beginning to understand that ‘‘commissariat lies at the bottom of most problems of animal life.” It is a pleasure to meet with an interpreter of nature who can translate her record into plain and happy language, especially when there is so often a tendency to predicate profundity by obscurity; but Mr. Grant Allen’s pen is sometimes almost too facile, and literary accomplishments run away with the unadorned natural facts. ‘hus we read, ‘‘In the soft shmy mud, the shoots of the curled pond-weed le by during the frozen period, hearing the noise of the gliding skates above them’’; the mandibles of a “ mosquito-larva”’ are not too happily termed a “‘big moustache,”’ D2 36 THE ZOOLOGIST. nor are the antenne of a mosquito more adequately repre- sented as a “beard.” But a few pleasantries do not detract from the general accuracy of the book, which throughout runs the danger of being too well written and too entertaining. Nor does the author of ‘The Woman who Did,’ fear the lash of pseudo-scientific jargon in being termed a ‘‘ neo-Lamarckian ”’ for writing “‘ Use brings structure.” The illustrations are excellent and instructive. The book has neither a preface nor index. The first is a very small matter, but the second is bad for both book and author if future refer- ence is desired. Animals of To-day, their Life and Conversation. By C.J. CornisH. Seeley & Co. Lim. “Tue following chapters were originally contributed to the ‘ Spectator,’’’ is the opening sentence of the preface to this book, and we are reminded of a remark made by Addison in the first paper to the older ‘Spectator,’ ‘‘ I live in the world rather as a spectator of mankind, than as one of the species.” Substitute “animal life” for ‘‘ mankind,’ and we reach the plane of Mr. Cornish in this very interesting volume, the record of life- history being alone contemplated. The reprint of these weekly contributions in a complete form is very welcome, though we question whether they do not lose some of the original force as when they appeared singly, confined to one subject in mode- rate compass. ‘Their reprint, however, clearly bears witness to what is now an undoubted fact, that the British reading public are at present thoroughly interested in the details of animal life. Many facts which are supposed to be well known are here brought to light and emphasised. The Bactrian Camel “is a beast made to endure not heat but cold,” as experienced Mongol herdsmen well know. The austere Goat is said, when city-kept in parts of New York, “to flourish on the paste-daubed paper of the advertisements which they nibble from the hoardings.” As to the number of Cats in London, Mr. Cornish quotes a writer in the ‘Daily Mail’ for an estimate of 400,000. Mr. Hudson, however, in his ‘ Birds in London,’ inclined to a much higher ratio in metropolitan feline population, believing in a probability NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. 37 of nearly three-quarters of a million, and a certainty of not less than half a million London Cats. In an interesting, but to the zoologist melancholy article on ‘‘ Wild beasts’ skins in com- merce,” it is stated, as generally believed, ‘“‘ that the last of the Quaggas was killed years ago.” ‘This is probably a fact, but the writer, quite recently when in South Africa, was told by a very high authority that strange reports had been received on this subject from the Western Coast region. Is it too late to restore the Beaver to our streams? Mr. Cornish thinks not, and their presence need not be much dreaded. ‘‘ Shallow streams they dam; and to make this dam they cut down trees and do mis- chief. But on deep, slow streams, such as the Thames, they make burrows in the bank and ‘lodges,’ but do not attempt to build dams, because the water is deep enough for their wants. All they need is enough willow-bark to feed on. If anyone would turn out a few Beavers on the Thames, and let them have the run of an osier-bed, they would probably increase and multiply.” There are sixteen illustrations. That of ‘‘ Rob Roy’s Cattle” is an artistic success. Catalogue of the Syntomide in the Collection of the British Museum. By Sir Gro. F. Hampson, Bart. Published by the Trustees of the British Museum. Tuis is really the first volume of a most important publica- tion, being nothing less than the commencement of a descriptive and analytical catalogue of the Moths of the World. The method is so clear and simple, and the wealth of illustration so ample, that any ordinary student cannot fail to identify, both generically and specifically, such species as he may desire to know, and in a classificatory sense understand; while to the entomologist the result of an exhaustive study, based on the com- parison of nearly all available material, is a boon. Of course Sir George Hampson cannot expect that his proposed classification will be universally followed ; that is a proposition which, however reasonable, is still an open question with most lepidopterists, but it is probable that the great use that must be made of these 38 THE ZOOLOGIST. volumes in the future, in the determination of genera and species, and the demarcation of families, will carry very largely the classification along at the same time. This classification is distinctly based on evolutionary prin- ciples, depending almost entirely on wing structure. The author, as an evolutionist, makes himself clear. ‘‘ The present families and genera are not of course derived from other existing ones, but from their ancestors; and when a family or genus is said to be derived from another, all that is meant is, that in order to reach their present stage of specialization, their ances- tors must have passed through a stage which would in essential” points of structure come within the definition of the other family or genus. And as a corollary, the plan of the book is ‘‘to begin with the most highly specialized families, genera, and species, and gradually work down to the most generalized forms.” The Syntomide, as treated in this volume, number 1184 actually described species, of which a very large proportion indeed is figured, generic characters pourtrayed, and full synonymy given. ‘The last does not represent the mere useless occupation of a specialist as some theoretical writers incline to stigmatize. A zoologist is supposed to know the animal kingdom and its members under one and not various names. This promiscuity is not altogether unavoidable by workers residing in different centres of activity, and of course absent from one general collec- tion of types. ‘To assist this work, material has been lent and given from all sides, which, added to the immense and almost unique Heteroceral wealth now contained in the British Museum and in private collections in the country, makes the specific verdict of this volume one likely to provoke little ‘‘ appeal.” These books mark a very prominent aspect of our age in all departments. ‘‘ The rich are getting richer”; in commerce the large undertakings are swallowing up the smaller ones; every- where we see centralization as a necessity exerting its sway ; and so in the technical zoology of the future it will be understood that only large national collections worked by State aid can give the last words in the zoological nomenclature which will be accepted as a canon, and liberate naturalists for other work. If we compare this and other catalogues with the encyclopedic work NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. 39 which appeared in zoological literature towards the end of the last century, we may well take heart and fresh courage. A separate issue of seventeen beautifully coloured plates accompany the volume for those who wish to acquire the same, and we trust that the author may have health and strength to finish the colossal undertaking. Meanwhile, as years must elapse before the whole of these volumes can be issued, it would be advantageous to the classificatory scheme of the author, and most useful to workers who would fall in line with the classifi- cation, if the names of existing genera under new family arrange- ments could be published elsewhere, and at an early date. 40 THE ZOOLOGIST. EDITORIAL GLEANINGS. THE ‘ Zoological Record’ for 1897 appeared last December. This in- valuable vade mecum to all working zoologists is again a bulky volume, and bears witness to the vitality of our science. Only the record of Celenterata is held over, owing to the Recorder having left England at too early a period to have thoroughly completed his work. Mr. J. A. Thomson’s record of “* General Subjects ” is again—apart from specialization—one of the most valuable annual contributions to Biology. It contains 784 titles, and is a guide to a year’s philosophy of animal life. Perhaps the number of contributions gives at least the standard of activity during 1897. In Mammalia, Mr. Lydekker records 343 separate communications ; in Aves, Dr. Bowdler Sharpe enumerates 567 distinct titles; Mr. Boulenger gives 242 referring to Reptilia and Batrachia, and 259 for Pisces. Tunicata has a small record; in Mollusca, Mr. Sykes gives 527 references, and in Brachio- poda 41. Passing the smaller work done in Bryozoa, we come to Crustacea, where Mr. A. W. Brown enumerates 208 contributions, 151 in Arachnida, and 65 in Myriopoda and Prototracheata. Insecta again heads the list with 1205 articles, as given by the Editor, Dr. D. Sharp. For Echinoderma (1896 and 1897), Mr. Bather enumerates 358 titles; in Vermes, Miss Buchanan gives 267. Prof. R. von Lendenfeld is able to contribute 42 for Spongie, and Mr. Brown 171 for Protozoa. As usual, a formidable list of names proposed for new genera and subgenera complete another volume of a well-thumbed series. In the Proc. of the United States Nat. Mug. vol. xxi. No. 1168, Mr. Frederick W. True has contributed a paper ‘“‘ On the Nomenclature of the Whalebone Whales of the Tenth Edition of Linneus’s ‘ Systema Nature.’” Seven European species of Whalebone Whales are now currently recog- nized ; Linnzeus described four species. Of these, Balena boops is here considered as a synonym of B. physalus. ‘The complete list of European Whalebone Whales is given as follows :— 1. Balena mysticetus, Linneus. The Bowhead, or Arctic Right Whale. 2. Balena glacialis, Bonnaterre. The Black Whale, or Nordcaper. EDITORIAL GLEANINGS. 4] 3. Balenoptera physalus (Linneus). The Common Finback or Rorqual. 4. Balenoptera musculus (Linneus). The Blue Whale. 5. Balenoptera borealis, Lesson. Rudolphi’s Rorqual. 6. Balenoptera acuto-rostrata, Lacepéde. The Little Piked Whale, or Least Rorqual. 7. Megaptera longimana (Rudolphi). The Humpback. Mr. R. Hepeer Watuace has contributed a timely, lengthy, and well illustrated paper on ‘‘ White Cattle: an Inquiry into their Origin and History,” to the last part of the Trans. Nat. Hist. Soc. of Glasgow. These modern Park White Cattle are often described as descendants of Bos primi- genius, and this opinion appears to be solely due to Prof. Riitimeyer; Mr. Wallace’s contention, however, is that ‘‘ they are simply the descendants of Roman cattle imported into the country during the Roman occupation.” The evidence for this view is very amply given, and total agreement is pro- nounced with the conclusions of Prof. T. McKenny Hughes that we may take it as pretty well established that ‘‘ the Urus characterizes the Neolithic age, having first appeared in Paleolithic times with the Bison, and having become extinct in Britain long before the Roman occupation. The Celtic Shorthorn appeared with the Urus in Neolithic times, lived down and through the Roman occupation, and thus may be regarded as the character- istic Ox of the Bronze age. The Romans improved the Celtic Shorthorn by crossing it with cattle imported from Italy ; the form of the Roman Ox, as inferred from contemporary art, being exactly what was required to pro- duce the modification observed in the latter Romanized breed. The charac- teristics of the Urus nowhere appear among the Romano-British cattle. The Kerry Cattle are the most typical examples in the British Isles of the Celtic Shorthorn, while the Chillingham Cattle are the nearest repre- sentation of the breed introduced by the Romans. The Highland and Welsh Cattle are derived largely from the Celtic Shorthorn, with more or less mixture of the Roman breed. All the above are whole-coloured or shaded. The Longhorns, which appear nowhere with Romano-British or early medieval remains, are the offspring of the large breeds imported from Holstein and the Low Countries in later medizval times. All these, and the stock crossed with them, are apt to be parti-coloured or sheeted. The Medieval Shorthorn, as found in the ditches, &c., of the eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth centuries, is a reversion to the numerically predomi- 492 THE ZOOLOGIST. nant native breed (Celtic Shorthorn) after the legionaries had been with- drawn, and selection and breeding had become impossible.” On Dec. 6th we received the following note from Mr. Rowland Ward: —‘ A few days agoa male specimen (adult) of the Golden Kagle was-sent to me for preservation by Mr. S. Lewis, of Wells, Somerset. The bird had been trapped in the north of Scotland, and yielded the following measure- ments :—Wing, 25 in. in length; head to tip of tail, 32 in.” This was subsequently published in ‘The Field,’ and the following note has also appeared on the subject :—‘‘ The Kagle mentioned by Mr. Tegetmeier in Saturday’s ‘ Field’ appears to have continued its peregrinations after its demise. It was sent from Scotland along with a couple of Buzzards toa Yorkshire natural history dealer, was offered to me, then sent down to Wells, in Somersetshire, and now appears to be finally reposing at Mr. Rowland Ward’s. I did not see the bird.—OxLEy GRABHAM.” WE rejoice to read, in the January number of ‘ The Annals of Scottish Nat. Hist.,’ of a proposed memorial to the late William Macgillivray, M.D., LL.D., who died in Aberdeen in September, 1852, and was buried in New Calton Burying-ground in Edinburgh. ‘ To the present hour his grave is not marked even by an ordinary tombstone. ‘There is nothing to indicate the spot save four low corner-stones, each bearing the letters ‘ W. M.’” Some months ago a meeting was called of all who cherish the memory of Dr. Macgillivray, which resulted in the appointment of a Committee charged with the duty of issuing a circular to his surviving students and others likely to be interested in the proposal, collecting subscriptions, and erecting a memorial at his grave, any balance to be spent in commemorating him also in Marischal College. It is proposed not only to erect a churchyard memorial—‘“ simple if it would be in keeping with the character of the man to be commemorated,” but also to found a Macgillivray Gold Medal in the University of Aberdeen, to be given as a prize to the best student in Zoology, Botany, or Geology ; or to former students for the best original research work ; or for the best series of specimens worthy of being placed in the Natural History Museum, or the Botanical Museum, of the University. Subscriptions may be forwarded to the Rev. Dr. Farquharson, Selkirk, or to the Editors of the Ann. of Scottish Nat. Hist. Edinburgh. OwiNG to the unique and extremely interesting nature of the fauna in Lake Tanganyika, the study of which was recently the object of an expedi- EDITORIAL GLEANINGS. 43 tion, supported by the Royal Society, and led by Mr. J. E. S. Moore, a Committee has been formed, consisting of Sir John Kirk, Dr. P. L. Sclater, Mr. Thiselton-Dyer, Prof. Ray Lankester, and Mr. G. A. Boulenger, for the purpose of organizing another expedition to the same regions, to thoroughly survey the basin not only of Lake Tanganyika, but aiso the unknown por- tions of the northern extension of the great series of valleys in which Tanganyika, together with Lakes Kivu and the Albert Nyanza, lie; to collect specimens of the aquatic fauna and flora, and to study the geological history of this part of Africa. The latter object of the investigation should be of especial interest, for it was shown by Mr. Moore that almost without exception the shells of the singular series of whelk-like molluscs, captured by him in Tanganyika, are indistinguishable from those now found fossi- lized in Europe among the remains of old Jurassic seas. It would thus appear that at some remote period of time the great valley of Tanganyika was in connection with the sea, and that the strangely isolated marine fauna which still inhabits its slightly brackish waters has remained there ever since.—Nature. Tue effect of approaching storms upon song birds is the subject of an interesting contribution by Mr. C. E. Linney to the ‘U.S. Monthly Weather Review.’ It appears that during the night of Aug. 15-16th very severe electrical, wind, and rain storms prevailed over the northern district of Illinois. An observer in Henry County, Mr. W. W. Warner, noticed that for forty-eight hours before the storm not a sound was heard from the numerous song birds in the district. ‘This observation was so full of interest that Mr. Linney wrote for additional information, with the result that he received numerous letters, some confirming it, others stating that birds sing louder and more persistently before a great storm, and nearly all agreeing that they are more restless than usual at such a time. Mr. Linney has found the following weather proverbs referring to song birds and storm :—When birds cease to sing, rain and thunder will probably occur. If birds in general pick their feathers, wash themselves, and fly to their nests, expect rain. Parrots and Canaries dress their feathers and are wakeful the evening before a storm. If the Peacock cries when he goes to roost, and indeed much at any time, it is a sign of rain. Long and loud singing of Robins in the morning denotes rain. Robins will perch on the topmost branches of trees and whistle when a storm is approaching. The restlessness of domestic animals and barn-yard fowls before an approaching storm is well known, and many of their peculiarities have been noted ; but the actions of song birds do not appear to have previously received par- ticular attention,— Nature, L4 THE ZOOLOGIST. Tue Report of the Secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture for 1898 has come to hand. ‘The excellent work done by this Institution is not confined to botanicel subjects. “ The Biological Survey is often called upon to determine the value of birds and animals to practical agriculture. It is in effect a court of appeal in which complaints are investigated concerning those species which are considered injurious to crops. A careful study is made of the food of useful and injurious birds and mammals, and thousands of stomachs of birds are examined in the laboratory. Two thousand three hundred and twenty-nine stomachs, mainly of Sparrows, Swallows, and Woodpeckers, were examined during the year. A report has been prepared on the native Cuckoos and Shrikes, and reports on Flycatchers and native Sparrows are in preparation. Several of the latter birds feed largely on weed-seed during the winter, and it is a matter of no little interest to determine how far they can aid the farmer in checking the increase of noxious weeds. ‘The importance of this work is emphasized by the increasing demand made on the Department for informa- tion and publications on birds, in consequence of the recent widespread popular interest in ornithology.” THERE appears to be a considerable loss of avian life at Niagara Falls. The Rev. R. Ashington Bullen has contributed an interesting note on the subject to ‘Science Gossip’ for last December, from which we extract as follows :—“ Through the kindness of Mr. David Boyle, Curator of the Archeological Museum, Toronto, Ontario, I have received the following list of birds which are washed over Niagara Falls. It has been compiled by Mr. Roderick Cameron, who has also added an account of how the birds are caught. The list, so far as I can ascertain, has never before been pub- lished :— Whistling Swans (Cygnus americana), Common Brent-geese (Ber- nicla brenta, Stephens), Canada Goose (b. canadensis, Boie), Mallard Ducks (dnas boschas, Linn.), Pintail Ducks (Dafila acuta, Jenyns), Ameri- can Wigeon (Mareca americana, Stephens), American Green-winged Teal (Nettton carolinensis, Baird), and other varieties, American Hider-duck (Somateria spectabilis Leach), American Black-scoter or Sea-coot (felionetta perspicillata, Kaup), American White Pelican (Pelecanus tachyrhynchus), Shoveller, or Spoonbill Duck (Spatula clypeata, Boie), Grey Duck, or Gad- wall (Chaulelasmus streperus, Gray), Black Dusky-duck (Anas obscura, Gmelin), Wood-duck (Ata sponsa, Boie), Canvas-back Duck (Aythya vallis- neria, Bonaparte), Red-head Duck (A. americana, Bonaparte), Blue-billed Duck, or Scaup (fulia marila, Baird), Whistle-wing Duck (Bucephala americana, Baird), Golden-eye Duck (B. islandica, Baird), Buffle-head or Butter-ball Duck (B. albeola, Baird), Hider or Spectacled Duck (Somateria spectabilis, Leach), Scoter or Surf Duck (Oidemia americana, Swainson), EDITORIAL GLEANINGS. 45 Saw-billed Duck (two), (Hulica americana, Gmelin), and Mud-hens (Rallus crepitans, Gmelin), Sheldrake (Mergus americanus, Cassin), Red- breasted Merganser (M. serrator, Linn.), Hooded Merganser (Lopho- dytes cucullatus, Reichart), Common Cormorant (Graculus carbo, Gray), Ruddy Duck (Hrismatura rubida, Bonaparte), Summer Duck (two), Coween Duck (three), Great Northern Diver, or Loon (Colymbus torquatus, Brun- nich), Muffle-head Diver (C. arcticus). The scientific names are mainly taken from Samuels’s ‘ Birds of New England and Neighbouring States.’”’ At the meeting of the Zoological Society, on Nov. 29th, the disputed classificatory position of an interesting animal was considered, when Mr. I’. G. Parsons, F'.Z.S., read a paper on the anatomy of adult and fetal specimens of the Cape Jumping Hare (Pedetes caffer). In it the different systems—osseous, muscular, nervous, circulatory, digestive, &c.—were de- scribed in some detail, and contrasted with the corresponding parts in two Jerboas (Dipus hirtipes and D. jerboa). ‘The author regarded the muscular system as furnishing the best clue to the position of the animal, and, con- sidering all the evidence in his possession, looked upon Pedetes as being nearly akin to the Jerboas; but thought that, if a sharp line had to be drawn anywhere between the Mouse-like and Porcupine-like rodents, Pedetes should be placed on the hystricomorphine, and the Dipodideé on the myomorphine side of that line. The radial ossicle in the carpus, described by Bardeleben as a prepollex, was found to answer accurately to that writer's description; but Mr. Parsons failed to find any proof which satisfied him of its digital nature. AT another meeting of the above Society, held on Dec. 13th, a com- munication was read from Mr. H. H. Brindley, on certain characters of the reproduced appendages in the Arthropoda, particularly in the Blattide. It was a continuation of a paper published in the ‘ Proceedings’ of the Society for 1897 (p. 903), and contained observations on the process of regeneration of the legs in the Blattide. Some review of our knowledge of the regeneration of appendages in other Arthropods was attempted, from which it appeared that while certain appendages in certain groups when regenerated were always apparently exact replicas of the normal, in other cases, besides the legs of Blattide, regenerated appendages invariably differed from the normal in such constant respects that they should be regarded as alternate ‘‘normals” rather than as imperfect reproductions of the congenital normal structures. In the case investigated in detail there was evidence that the process of ecdysis involved reconstruction of the soft parts as well as of the cuticle of the appendage. 46 THE ZOOLOGIST. Tue ‘South Australien Registrar’ complains of the wanton destruction of birds there, stating that it is an unforeseen effect of the legislation intended to ensure the destruction of Sparrows and other feathered pests ; but it goes on to say that to the ruthless and indiscriminate extermination of birds which is now proceeding in almost every district some material check might be applied if Parliament would only spare an hour or two of | its valuable time for the consideration of the Bill promoted by the Society for the Protection of Birds. When that Society was inaugurated four years ago many people described the movement as an evanescent fad which would have no result, but the local branch has now 525 members, and the parent society in the old country numbers 16,200. South Australia is apparently now concerned about the fate of the native birds, and it has good reason to be, not only from a sentimental, but also from a utilitarian point of view. In many ways different species of Australian birds may prove themselves to be the friends of mankind. Kendall, the most essenti- ally Australian of all our poets, mentions not the best of these when he says— ‘* Welcome as waters unkissed by the summers Are the voices of Bell-birds to thirsty far-comers.” But if only on the ground of pure sentiment, the agitation undertaken by the Society is fully justified. The days are surely gone by when in any civilized country a large proportion of the people, even in the needful work of extirpating pests, would wantonly prefer the cruel methods of slow torture to those of swift and painless destruction. No doubt one may find here and there wretches who would sit smoking a pipe and watching the struggles of a wounded bird without the slightest impulse to put it out of its misery. Some boys will actually pull the wings and the legs away from a living bird, and impale the suffering little thing against the trunk of a tree, in order to enjoy the spectacle of its agony. The practice of offering bonuses for the heads of Sparrows undoubtedly tended to harden the con- sciences of many young people, and the amount of wanton cruelty observed in the park-lands around Adelaide is quite disquieting. Unfortunately, the existing demand for wings for the trimming of ladies’ hats leads to an immense amount of cruelty, and the boys therefore are not the sole persons responsible for the evil. In the case of those species of birds that are already in danger of extermination, the caprices of fashion are peculiarly unpatriotic and unwise, as well as cruel, for they perpetrate their worst ravages at the breeding season, when the plumage is at its brightest.— Globe. SoME interesting facts are to be found in ‘ Angling Notes’ contributed to the ‘ Westminster Gazette’ of Dec. 30th. In connection with the details of a plan to increase the stock of Salmon in the Tweed and Teviot, EDITORIAL GLEHEANINGS. AT we read:—A hundred years ago, we are told, lands were not so well culti- vated and drained as they are to-day. Then, when the rains came, the mosses soaked up the water, which formed itself into shallow lochs and pools. These gave out their contents slowly and gradually, and when the rivers were flooded they ran full for a long time. Now all this is changed. The hills are well drained, as well as all lands available for cultivation ; and when the rain falls heavily the water rushes off at once to the rivers, which rise with wonderful rapidity, and then rush off with tremendous violence to the sea, tearing up the gravel, often altering its channel, and damaging the banks. The subsidence of the flood is as rapid asits rise. The damage which is done to the ova of Salmon when a flood of this nature occurs during or immediately following upon the spawning season, will be apparent to anyone. We have often seen whole banks of gravel washed away during such times, and of course, where these have been used for spawning-beds by the Salmon, the chances are that the greater proportion of the ova or undeveloped fry will be silted over and destroyed. The establishment of sufficiently large hatcheries where the ova and fry would be protected until © the latter had reached a suitable age for returning into the river would counteract to a great extent these many adverse influences. AccoRDING to a note in a late issue of the ‘ Daily Chronicle,’ the recent practice of feeding the Lion in the Lincoln Park Zoo, in Chicago, with live Dogs has created something of a disturbance, the President of the Humane Society denouncing the practice, even though this method of feeding has been undertaken from a medical point of view. The Lion which has been thus fed is a big African specimen, which is afflicted with rickets, due, it is believed, to improper diet. During the past ten years twenty-seven African Lions, representing a loss of more than £2000, have died in this way, although hitherto the disease has been diagnosed as paralysis, and it is in the hope of preventing. further loss that the Dogs, which were taken from the pound, were given to the Lion for food. ‘THE death of Mr. Christopher Sykes took place on Dec. 15th. This gentleman will not alone be remembered as the “ grave young man of ‘ Lothair,’” and the friend of Princes, but, by British ornithologists, as one to whose untiring exertions we owe the Sea Birds’ Protection Act. AFTER a successful career of over thirty years, ‘ Science Gossip,’ the favourite journal for amateurs devoted to Natural, Physical, and Applied Sciences, has just entered upon independent offices at 110, Strand. The editorial management is still under the control of Mr. John T. Carrington, assisted by Miss F. Winstone. 48 THE ZOOLOGIST. A very good set of the first tive editions of Walton’s ‘ Compleat Angler ’ came up for sale on December 1st at Messrs. Sotherby’s, among the choice library of books on angling formed by the late Mr. Edward Snow, of Boston, Mass., U.S.A. These five editions were those which appeared during the lifetime of Izaak Walton, and the Snow copies are uniformly bound in olive morocco extra by F. Bedford. The set was knocked down to Messrs. Pickering and Chatto for £235. The Ashburnham set, unique as regards size and condition, realized £800 in May last, and some of the volumes possessed the further sentimental advantage of having the author’s autograph notes written in them. The Snow copies were slightly “ shaved ” in some places, and some of the leaves in the first issue were defective, and the entire set was sold “not subject to return.” A second copy of the second edition of the same work, with many of the headlines cut into, brought £19 15s., and three other copies of the third edition respectively sold for £12 10s., £35, and £11. Other angling books included an im- perfect copy of ‘ The Secrets of Angling,’ by John Dennys, 1652, £36. The total of the sale of 669 lots amounted to £1280. Mr. EF. T. Mort, of Crescent House, Leicester, has reprinted in pamphlet form two papers expressing his theories on the “ Origin of Organic Colour,” which were respectively contributed to ‘ Science,’ and read at the Nottingham Meeting of the British Association in 1893. Mr. Mott predicates a ‘“‘great concentrating wave of organic life in its progress towards an unknown climateric,” as a result of which ‘the beauty of summer as we know it now, though it has never been paralleled in the past, will be as nothing to the blaze of brilliance which shall mark the summers of the future.” ‘In the animal world brilliant colour is still comparatively rare, this branch of the organic wave being perhaps less advanced than that which rules the department of vegetation.” THE ZGOOLOGIST No. 692.—February, 1899. WHISKERED BAT (MYOTIS MYSTACINUS) IN CAPTIVITY. By CHARLES OLDHAM. THE observation of Bats in a free state is, owing to their nocturnal habits and peculiar mode of life, a matter of con- siderable difficulty, and but very little is known of the economy of even our common British species. Many of their actions may be studied in captivity, but it is not easy to maintain the supply of insect food essential to the welfare of the little creatures, which seldom survive confinement long. These considerations are per- haps sufficient excuse for the publication of the following notes on a Bat which I kept alive for nearly five weeks last winter. On Nov. 27th I obtained a male Whiskered Bat, Myotis mystacinus (Leisler), from one of the tunnels of the disused copper mines on Alderley Edge. It would not eat some meal- worms I offered it, although it greedily lapped water from a camel-hair pencil and from the palm of my hand. Five days later, after many unsuccessful attempts to induce the Bat to feed, I pro- cured some moths (Scotosia dubitata) from the copper mines, and placed them in a box with it; but no attention was paid to them. On the evening of the following day I placed the Bat under a bell- jar with six of the moths, and, on going to look at it an hour after- wards, found that it had caught and eaten them all, rejecting only the wings and legs. The available supply of moths was exhausted in a few days, and I began to despair of keeping my Zool. 4th ser. vol. III., February, 1899. E 50 THE ZOOLOGIST. little captive alive, as it still ignored the mealworms, even when they crawled over its face and wings. On Dec. 5th I fastened a moth’s wing to half a mealworm, and moved it about just in front of the Bat’s nose. This ruse succeeded admirably; the Bat made a dash at the imitation moth, and speedily devoured the mealworm. From that time it took the mealworms readily, and soon learned to look for them if I held my finger-tips near its face. I fed it nearly every day, and for so small a creature it had an enormous appetite. On one occasion, although it had eaten seven mealworms on the previous evening, it ate, between two and eight o’clock, eight mealworms, a large spider, and six S. dubitata ; after which it merely snapped at the moths, but would not eat them. During the ensuing night, however, it ate seven more moths which I had left with it under the bell-jar. On another evening it ate two fragments of raw rabbit, seven mealworms, one S. dubitata, and two thick-bodied moths (Gono- ptera libatrix). On Dec. 28th the Bat appeared to be in good health, and ate seven mealworms. I did not feed it on the 29th, and on the morning of the following day it was hanging as though asleep, except that its legs were straight instead of flexed; but, on touching it, I found that it was dead. The Bat bit me viciously when I took it from the roof of the tunnel and warmed itin my hand, but it never showed any temper subsequently, and in a few days had become absurdly tame. It evinced little disposition for flight, especially after feeding, and if compelled to take wing would, after one or two turns round the room, drop on to the floor, or pitch on a curtain, chair, or my head or body. When settling on a vertical surface it used to pitch head upwards, then quickly shuffle round and hang sus- pended by its toes in a convenient position for taking wing again. It could rise from a flat surface by making a sudden spring up- wards and expanding its wings immediately. Although loth to fly, it seemed never tired of running about among the papers and other objects on the table, and was seldom stationary unless it was eating. ‘The bell-jar in which I kept it was raised above a stand on supports rather more than +} in., or, to be exact, just 7 mm. in height, and whenever the perforated zinc guard was removed from the intervening space the Bat would creep out at once. The bright light of the lamp on my table seemed to cause WHISKERED BAT IN CAPTIVITY. 51 it no inconvenience, for it used to sit, supported on feet and wrists, eating mealworms within a few inches of the flame, and never showed any desire to retire to dark or shaded places. Sometimes it would creep under my hand, or up my sleeve, but this, I think, was ov account of the sensation of warmth it expe- rienced in nestling against my skin The sense of sight seems to be but feeble in the Whiskered Bat. The example under notice could not see, or at all events recognize, a mealworm or wet paint-brush if more than an inch from its face. As this species is more diurnal than any other British Bat, and may frequently be seen abroad at midday in summer, the inability of my captive to see objects an inch away cannot be attributed to the dazzling effects of too strong a light, especially as this inability existed equally in the daytime and in the artificial light of a lamp. Its hearing also appeared to be dull, as it never showed by any movement of its head that it perceived a sudden noise, such as the snapping of my fingers, or the click of a watch-lid being closed. It sometimes slept prone upon the floor with wings folded and pressed closely to its sides, at other times suspended by its toes to the rim of a wooden box. During sleep, which was always profound, its temperature fell considerably, and it felt, as all Bats do in this state, extremely cold. It usually wakened in the evening, but exceptionally in the daytime without beirg roused; while, as a rule, it was necessary to warm it into activity by holding it for a minute or two in my hand if I wanted to feed it by daylight. It was constantly thirsty, and would readily lap milk or water even when not sufficiently roused from sleep to seize food. Its voice, often used, was a feeble squeak, less shrill than that of the Long-eared Bat. My captive used to tuck its head away under its body directly it had seized an insect, at the same time bringing its feet forward, so far indeed that it sometimes lost its balance and toppled over on its back. ‘This habit, practised from the very first, was evidently one of old standing, and not a trick acquired in confinement. By feeding the Bat ona sheet of glass so that I could see it from beneath, or, better still, by giving it an insect as it hung suspended by its toes, the reason of its action was at once apparent. ‘The tail being directed forward beneath the body, the interfemoral membrane formed a pouch into which the E 2 ~ 52 THE ZOOLOGIST. Bat thrust its head, and was thereby enabled to get a firmer grip of its prey without any danger of dropping it. When the Bat was on a flat surface the lower side of this pouch was pressed closer to its belly than would be the case during flight, so that it some- times failed to get its head into the pouch, and let a mealworm drop. When this was the case it never made any attempt to seize its prey again, and the mealworm would escape by crawling out from beneath its wings or tail. When the Bat was sus- pended, however, the bag was wide open, and the insect never escaped. Experience seemed to teach it that the mealworms were incapable of escape by flight, and latterly it did not always thrust its head into the interfemoral pouch after seizing one, but devoured it without this preliminary. In a free state Bats, capturing the greater part, if not all, of their food on the wing, must often fail to grip large insects securely at the first bite, and it would be a manifest advantage to have some means of adjusting their hold without alighting. An insect accidentally dropped during flight could hardly be recovered, and would probably be abandoned without further thought, as was the case when my Whiskered Bat dropped a mealworm. A Long-eared Bat which I kept for a few days invariably thrust its head into the inter- femoral pouch on seizing a moth. Both Long-eared and Whiskered Bats have the tail curved beneath them during flight, although they are usually figured with it held straight behind them; and I have httle doubt that when on the wing they actually use the method I have described for securing their prey. Further observation will probably show that this curious habit is common to all our British species, with the possible exception of the Horseshoe Bats, in which the interfemoral membrane is com- paratively small, and the tail, during repose at any rate, is carried in a very different way. Having firmly secured its prey, whether moth or mealworm: by the head or tail, my Whiskered Bat used to swallow it length- wise, crunching it thoroughly by rapid movements of the jaws as it slowly disappeared. Neither foot nor carpus was ever used in any way to assist it in capturing or holding an insect. The use of either would of course be quite impossible during flight. Moths and spiders moving near it were pounced upon and cap- tured, but mealworms dissociated from my fingers seemed to WHISKERED BAT IN CAPTIVITY. 53 puzzle it, and only once did I see it capture one itself, although the creatures frequently crawled just before its eyes and over its wings and feet. The wings and legs of moths were always dropped, but once or twice a wing accidentally encountered in the Bat’s ramble about the table was picked up and eaten. The mealworms were, as a rule, entirely consumed, but sometimes the horny heads were left. After being fed or handled, the Bat always went through a rather elaborate toilet. It used to hang by one foot and comb the fur of its face and body with the other, often sucking its toes first, and always moving the free foot with great rapidity. It would then change the foot used for suspension, and repeat the operation. It paid much attention to the wings and interfemoral membrane, licking them inside and out, and distending the mem- branes by thrusting its nose among the folds. When washing itself, as well as when securing prey in the manner described above, it displayed remarkable suppleness. Despite its cleanliness it was the host, as every Bat seems to be, of some external parasites. I removed a large tick from the upper surface of the interfemoral membrane near the root of its tail, and caught two fleas (which Mr. Edward Saunders has identified as T’'yphlopsylla hexactenus) in its fur. 54 THE ZOOLOGIST. ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES FROM NORTHERN NORWAY. By J. H. Sauter, D.Sc. Tuanxs to the numerous contributions to the subject which have appeared in ‘ The Zoologist’ and elsewhere, the avifauna of most parts of Norway is as familiar to English naturalists as that of the Scotch Highlands. I have therefore, in writing the following notes of a month’s holiday spent in the far north during the past summer, dwelt chiefly upon the points which appeared to be of interest, and have tried to avoid repetition. Tromso, in 69° 38’ N. latitude, was selected as offering facilities for making the acquaintance of certain birds of a distinctly arctic type. Ten days spent in the birch woods and on the fyeld tended to confirm in almost every detail the account given by Mr. O. V. Aplin (Zool. Dec. 1896), to whom I am much indebted for this and for other information. A few species were noted which Mr. Aplin failed to meet with, his visit having been paid earlier in the summer, before the snow had fully melted. On the other hand, in mid-July we found many birds silent, and hence less readily identified. In company with a friend, I crossed from Newcastle to Ber- gen, the latter place being reached early on the morning of July 7th. In the grounds of the Fishery Exhibition, the Nygaards Park, but few birds were to be seen, owing to the wet. I noted the Chaffinch, White Wagtail, and very tame House Sparrows. We left at 11 p.m. in the ‘ Sirius’ for Trondhjem, and rose next morning to find, in place of the gloomy Bergen weather, bright sunshine and blue sea. A crowd of cackling Gulls, Lesser Black-backs, hovered over our wake. In the quiet channels many Shags were perched on the rocky islets. As we rounded the Stadtland, justly dreaded for its rough seas, birds were numerous. There were many Common Guillemots. Kittiwakes appeared to be breeding on the white wave-worn rocks of the ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES FROM NORWAY. 55 headland, and the first Black Guillemot passed, flying low and fast just above the waves. Late in the afternoon we came to Aalesund. A stay of an hour and a half allowed of a hurried scramble about the grey rocky bluff behind the town. Herea Common Whitethroat was singing. Molde was reached at ten. We took advantage of the lingering twilight to run up to the fir woods. Robins were singing as we roamed through the forest, collecting plants and vainly hoping to stumble upon a Fieldfare colony. Next day, while passing the large island of Hiteren, haunt of the Red Deer, the first Kiders were sighted. At Beian, at the mouth of the Trondhjems Fjord, a White-tailed Eagle passed us, and was assaulted farther on by two Hooded Crows. Many of the latter species, with Common Guils, were resting on the stones and posts of the breakwater as we came into Trondhjem Harbour. After visiting the cathedral there was time for a stroli through the town and suburbs. White Wagtails were feeding newly-fledged young upon the yellow-lichened roof of an old monastic building. A Willow Wren was singing, and the Spotted Flycatcher’s note came from the black poplars. Magpies chat- tered from trees across the meadow. A Chifichaff sang from a dingle below us, where in moisture and shade grew blue colum- bine, meadow cranesbill, and a wealth of ferns. A Whinchat was scolding as it carried food. Down by the shore many House and Sand Martins hawked about, with Swallows in smaller numbers. At 11 p.m. Robins were singing, and Swifts were still upon the wing. The sun was out of sight, but clouds in the north-west were still illuminated, and by midnight the short spell of twilight was fast giving place to daylight once more. Next morning (July 10th) we left for the north in the ‘Vesteraalen.’ As we ran down the fjord a Richardson’s Skua flapped low over the surface of the water. Just beyond Beian there were hosts of Kiders dotted about amongst the low grassy skerries. In the evening we were threading our way through the narrow sounds of Vigten, amidst a perfect archipelago of islets. Some of them were Hider-holms. One Duck, Eider, carried two young upon her back. Oystercatchers piped from the rocky strand. Upon two islands which were tenanted by Common Gulls, the glass showed several young in the down. As we passed Torghatten at eleven, sea and sky were still illumined with 56 THE ZOOLOGIST. the purple and golden hues of the northern twilight. Gulls were still playing above the shoals of fish, a Cormorant flapped along the water, and a Black Guillemot rose from a dive. Next morning, by contrast, was fresh and overcast, and as we crossed the Arctic Circle the snow-patches became more numerous. Arctic Terns passed us beating up the channel, as we neared the seaward front of the lion-like Rédo. Skuas were seen at frequent intervals, and I watched the amusing performance so often de- scribed by visitors to this coast. Screams of a Common Gull drew my attention: a Skua was hot in chase. Its tail was spread kestrel-wise, showing the projecting middle tail-feathers. It swooped and grappled, putting down its feet to tackle the Gull. The latter settled on the water, but the Skua kept making feints at it, till a Lesser Black-back joined in and chased the two. Finally the Gull reached a rock, and its persecutor sheered off. As we steered to seaward to round the promontory of Kunnen, I heard a Whimbrel, and three Scoters flew past in company with Hiders. Numerous Puffins rose before the vessel. The islands just outside Bodo were swarming with Kiders. With them were Oystercatchers, Gulls of two or three species, and a pair of Red- throated Divers. As we anchored off the little town of Bédo, with its wharves and shipping, a Raven flew past. About 2 p.m. we saw the wild Matterhorn peaks of Kjaerring, outposts of the grand district of the Folden Fjord. The vessel steered through the Gissund, a narrow strait with clear green water. Here were whole fleets of Hiders, at least one of the old birds followed by young ones. Oystercatchers ran over the stones and seaweed; a White-tailed Eagle rose from the rocky shore, and flapped slowly past our stern. It was an immature bird, its back splashed with lighter colour, and its tail not yet white. We now steered out into the Vest Fjord, and tossed and rolled over thirty miles of open water to Svolvaer in the Lofotens. Black-backs and a Skua followed the vessel. A short run ashore added only one species, the Wheatear, to our list. Later in the evening, as we skirted this lofty coast, Herring Gulls appeared. They seem to avoid the more land-locked waters farther south, where the vessel was followed by Common Gulls and Lesser Black-backs only. On the morning of the 12th, as we neared Tromso, the savage ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES FROM NORWAY. 57 mountains gave place to gentle slopes green with grass and feathery birch wood. We had seen nothing so verdant for hun- dreds of miles. There was moss-fjeld with melting snow patches aloft. A flock of Arctic Terns was fishing in the channel, and a Skua in mottled plumage passed us. In the course of the morning we landed at Troms6, after just a week of travelling. Ten days were spent there, three of them being occupied by a trip to the Lyngen Fjord, where ice-clad mountains, separated by glaciers and snow-filled gorges, rise from the water's edge toa height of between five and six thousand feet. The small hours of an extremely wet morning were spent on shore at Lyngseidet ; while, by taking advantage of the fact that the boat calls twice at Skjervo, we were able to spend rather more than twelve hours upon that island, which lies just north of lat. 70°. On July 21st we left Tromso in the ‘ Rost.’ Next day we got two or three hours ashore at Stokmarknaes while stopping to coal. The Raftsund, grandest of the Lofoten straits, was traversed, and Svolvaer reached on the evening of the 22nd. Three days were spent in making excursions in the neighbourhood of Svolvaer, and we finally left for Trondhjem and Bergen on the 26th. Much time was lost in steamboat travelling, or the following list might have been somewhat extended. Cyanecula suecica.—We met with the Red-spotted Bluethroat frequently in the willow swamps. Apart from the slight differ ence in plumage, it appeared to be the counterpart of the white- spotted form which I had met with on the Rhine, though, as the males had ceased singing, I had no opportunity of comparing the songs of the two species. The females showed themselves more freely than those of C. wolfi, which, in my experience, are given to skulking. Skjervé appeared well suited to this species, as in moist hollows amongst willows and birches on the rocky slopes beyond the village we saw representatives of three pairs. On July 15th, in the Tromsdal, some distance below the Lapp encampment, a pair of Bluethroats scolded from willows by the stream. With them were the young ones, which had not long left the nest. They reminded one of young Stonechats or Robins, but were more richly coloured. On the 24th we saw a similar family amongst birch scrub a short distance inland from Svolvaer, 58 THE ZOOLOGIST. Ruticilla phenicurus.—We only once identified the Redstart, in the lower part of the Tromsdal, to wit, on July 15th. Hrithacus rubecula.—The Robin seems to be a shy woodland bird in Norway. Several were singing at Lyngseidet about 1 a.m. on the 17th, as the dull morning light strengthened. Saxicola enanthe.—A pair of Wheatears, with their brood, on rough ground below the birch woods, were amongst the first birds that we saw at Tromso. ‘Two days later another pair upon the rocky shore of Grindo had young just flying. On July 23rd we met with this species on an islet off Store Molle, in the Lofotens. Turdus ithacus.—Our first day at Troms6é, spent in the birch woods in pouring rain, introduced us to the Redwing’s song of a few whistling or piping notes. Sometimes a young bird which had left the nest would bustle out of the top of a birch tree with a chuckle. The old birds which had young were exceedingly fussy. Thus on the 13th, in the woods at the base of Floifjeld, a Redwing clucked and scolded persistently hke a Song Thrush as it flew round us, but we could find nothing. A second pair, in a great state of excitement, led to a search, with the result that we put up some of their young ones just flying. ‘Two or three Redwings were singing in the woods at Lyngseidet in heavy rain early on the morning of the 17th. Owing to its shyness, or to its habit of not breeding in colonies, this species appears to be far less numerous than the Fieldfare, but such can hardly be the case in reality, judging from the numbers which visit us in winter. While the Fieldfare sits boldly, the Redwing slips off its nest at the approach of an intruder; so that its eggs are not easily identified. A nest found on July 19th on the far side of the island was attributed to this species. The eggs, which were warm, were not to be distinguished with certainty from Field- fares’, but, though we watched for some time, no Fieldfare appeared to lay claim to them, while the Redwings were close at hand and vociferous. T. pilaris.—We met with Fieldfares in every locality visited, even on Skjervo, where the birches were very small; but in Lofoten, where wood was scanty and of low growth, we only came across them upon one occasion. A first day in the woods at Tromso, in steady rain, had yielded little, when the excited ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES FROM NORWAY. 59 scolding of a pair of Fieldfares called attention to their nest with three eggs, about seven feet from the ground against the trunk of a small birch. Several pairs were breeding in birches beside the track which led through the woods to Sandnaes, but in this and other cases the pairs were too few and too scattered to deserve the name of a colony. One bird was sitting upon three eggs, while two more were built into the bottom of the nest. Next day (July 18th), in the large woods at the base of Floifjeld, we met with nests the contents of which varied from a single fresh egg to young birds which flew as we knocked the trunk of the tree. In one nest the four eggs were all above the usual size, one of them very decidedly so, measuring 1°35 by °95 in. ; while the average dimensions, as given by Howard Saunders, are 1°2 by °85 in. But most of the nests were empty, probably in consequence of an earlier raid by collectors. Next day, upon Grindo, we found a nest with two fresh eggs. In the Tromsdal, on the 15th, leaving the track, which was thronged with tourists making for the Lapp encampment, we found a large colony of Fieldfares, but the birches were very awkward to climb, many of them being mere poles about thirty feet in height, and too slender to support a man’s weight. On the 19th, on the far side of the island, nests still contained eggs or young in various stages of srowth. Eggs from the same nest often showed very varied degrees of incubation, and sometimes no two young ones of a brood were of the same size. One nest was not more than 3 ft. 9 in. from the ground. Many birds, having finished breeding, were scattered over the clearings, feeding upon berries. On July 22nd, at Stokmarknaes, we climbed to many nests, but all were empty with the exception of a single one, which contained four well-fledged young. A few old birds were noisy, but many young ones were flying, and the breeding season was evidently over. I should much doubt whether in these latitudes the Fieldfare attempts two broods; it was difficult to form an opinion on the point at Tromso, owing to the probability of the birds having been disturbed. T. torquatus.—The Ring Ouzel was seen at Skjervo, about the high rocky part of the island, where, amongst crowberry and heather, Gulls were breeding. While waiting for a view of the midnight sun, we noticed that for about half an hour birds were 60 THK ZOOLOGIST. silent. Immediately after twelve the light improved, and the ‘tack tack”’ of a Ring Ouzel was heard. The influence of con- tinuous daylight upon the routine of bird-life in the far north is worthy of further study. On July 25th we noted the Ring Ouzel on the top of a rocky bluff near Svolvaer. Phylloscopus trochilus.—We share Mr. Aplin’s view as to the Willow Wren being the most numerous bird at Tromso. In mid-July many pairs were feeding young which had just left the nest. But the song was to be heard daily all through the month, while in this country the bird is silent for about three weeks before recommencing with its quiet summer song early in August. Thus I noted that the Willow Wren was still singing at Svolvaer on July 25th, and again at Bergen on the 30th. Sylvia atricapilla.— On July 13th a Blackcap was singing in a sheltered gully on the lower slopes of Floifjeld. Its presence seemed in keeping with the luxuriant vegetation of this favoured spot. Birch and mountain-ash hung from the steep banks of the little ravine, where water from the melting snow-patches above trickled over sheets of moss, amongst which crew Parnassia, Geum rivale, and quantities of that delicate and beautiful fern, Cystopteris montana. There were patches of a tall white-flowered umbellifer, and the rest was a rank jungle of meadow-sweet, wood-cranesbill, great valerian, and the blue alpine sow-thistle. ‘The only sound beside the Blackcap’s song was the note of a Northern Marsh Tit, which was busily investi- gating the rotten birch-stumps, some of which showed the marks of its bill. And all this in the latitude of Disco Island, and far north of Iceland! On the morning of the 17th I heard another Blackcap at Lyngseidet. Parus borealis—The Northern Marsh Tit was ranging the woods in family parties. The usual call is the familiar ‘‘ chee chee chee”’ of our own bird, but on Grindé one puzzled me for a time by making use of a fresh note. In many places this species had been pecking and digging into the old birch-stumps. Muscicapa atricapilla.—I saw a male Pied Flycatcher perched on a rail at Lyngseidet early on the morning of the 17th. M. grisola.—Its note called my attention to a Spotted Fly- catcher at the same time and place as the last. Lyngseidet would appear to be a favourite locality with the smaller birds, ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES FROM NORWAY. 61 Motacilla alba.—The White Wagtail was not very numerous at Tromso, though on July 20th we noted eight roosting side by side on a sloop at anchor in the strait. There were several about the shore at Lyngseidet; two were seen at Skjervo, and one at Svolvaer. M. borealis.—The Northern Yellow Wagtail was noted the day after our arrival, when one rose from the willow scrub by the shore of the strait near Storstennaes. Next day we saw several on Grindo. One much-excited pair led us to make a search, with the result that we caught a young one just able to fly, and saw another. Anthus pratensis.— The satisfactory determination of Norwegian Pipits is well known to be a matter of no small difficulty. I examined some scores with the field-glass upon the bogs and crowberry “barrens” in the hope of detecting the Red-throated Pipit, but all appeared to be of the present species. Some Meadow Pipits were feeding young, but the majority had eggs, doubtless a second brood; and so numerous were they that in the Tromsdal we stumbled across three nests in the course of about half an hour. Upon Grindo a boy showed us a nest with six eggs in a clump of moss and Hmpetrum. We watched for the return of the bird, much bitten by Mosquitoes the while, and, though she did not turn out to be the wished-for Red-throated Pipit, it was interesting to note the artless and unconcerned manner in which the bird, under pretence of feeding, stole up to the nest. A. obscurus rupestris.—The Norwegian Rock-Pipit cannot be numerous in the part of the Nordland which we visited, as, though constantly upon the look-out for it and frequently about rocky shores well suited to its requirements, I only met with it at Svolvaer. Accentor modularis.—The Hedge-Sparrow seems to be a shy bird in Norway, keeping to the cover of birch and willow. One was singing at Lyngseidet on the morning of July 17th, and another the same day at Skjervo. A third, heard in Lofoten on the 25th, was also singing in an unfrequented spot far from the village. Pyrrhula major.—On July 12th, a wet day spent in a first exploration of Tromso Island, I twice heard the low piping note of this species as we pushed through the birch woods. 62 THE ZOOLOGIST. Innota linaria.—We never failed to meet with the Mealy Redpoll wherever there was birch or willow cover of any but the most stunted growth. The first nest found, on July 13th, was thickly and warmly lined with feathers (fowls’) and willow down. It contained six eggs, which were incubated; but two others, found the same day, each contained three fresh eggs. Willows seemed to be preferred, and in some cases the nest was only three or four feet from the ground. On July 15th a crowd of tourists from the Hamburg-American liner ‘ Auguste Victoria ’ visited the Lapp encampment. In passing through the woods many of them brushed past, and must almost have touched, a Mealy Redpoll’s nest, placed shoulder-high in a birch tree beside the track. The five eggs were warm, though the bird was not sitting. At Skjervé, on the 18th, there were many Redpolls about the village, pecking at dandelions, or perched on fences, fish-rails, or path. One or two of the cocks were brilliant little fellows, with blood-red forehead and crimson breast. L. flavirostris—On July 23rd, landing upon an island off Svolvaer, we soon recognized Twites by their note. The locality seemed well suited to this moorland species, for, though there was only a scanty growth of heather, the peat soil was covered with berry-bearing plants—Vaccinium myrtillus and uliginosum, Arctostaphylos alpina, and, in wet spots, Rubus chamemorus, yielding the luscious méltebaer. Fringilla montifringilla——At Tromso one could not walk in any direction beyond the outskirts of the town without hearing the Brambling’s drawling note. A nest found just after our first Fieldfares’ on July 12th was some eight feet from the ground in the fork of a birch. It was an untidy nest, with Willow Grouse feathers worked into it. The bird fluttered off her four eggs, squealing and tumbling about. The cock bird then appeared; his note was a sharp “‘kip, kip,” which, often heard subsequently, always reminded me of the Meadow-Pipit. Another nest, higher up than the first, was thick-walled and deep, made of moss, bents, and lichen, lined with hair and “rype” feathers. On the 15th the young had just left a nest near the Lapp camp, leaving an addled egg. Both the old birds were much excited. Our last nest, found on the 19th on the far side of the island, had small young ones and an egg, the latter probably hatching. ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES FROM NORWAY. 63 Passer domesticus.—As Mr. Aplin remarks, House Sparrows are scarce at Troms6. On July 14th I noted one in the street. Three days later, as we touched at Havnaes on the U0, halfa dozen Sparrows were chirping on the roof of a warehouse by the landing-stage, and next day we saw plenty at Skjervo. Both localities are farther north than Troms0; so that the reason of their scarcity at the latter place does not appear. Eimberiza citrinellaa—Several Yellow-hammers were singing at Lyngseidet as we landed, shortly after midnight on the morning of the 17th. On the 25th I saw one amongst the birches not far from Svolvaer. Hi. scheniclus—Young Reed-Buntings, not long out of the nest, were once or twice detected in hiding amongst the willow scrub. Thus, on the 15th, there were some just able to fly near the Lapp camp. Plectrophanes nivalis.—On July 13th we ascended the Floifjeld, a hill lying opposite to Tromso just across the strait. It rises to a height of about 2500 ft. Above the zone of creeping birch we met with a great variety of small herbaceous plants of arctic and alpine type, including almost all the characteristic species of our Highland and Lake District summits. An Arctic Hare, in blue grey summer dress, was seen for a moment as it stole away, and amongst the grass were the runs and droppings of the Lemmings. After gaining the shoulder of the hill, our way led over bare stony tracts of fyeld, with a very gradual rise towards the summit. We had just passed a herd of about sixty Reindeer, when, as we came to a more broken rocky part of the slope, the Snow Bunting’s call-note drew attention to a male bird of this species perched upon a boulder. We soon discovered that there were about two families of them,—the old cocks in full black and white livery, hen birds, and young ones which had not long left the nest. It has been remarked that, to one who has only known him in winter in the south, to come across the Snow Bunting in his summer quarters is like making the acquaintance of a new bird. Again, on July 25th, after a fatiguing ascent of one of the mountains near Svolvaer, under an almost tropical sun and through jungles of lady fern six feet in height, as we at length gained the ridge and rested on its northern side, where in the shade several large snow patches still lay unmelted, a twittered 64 THE ZOOLOGIST. call-note from the rocks below led to the identification of another - pair of Snow Buntings. Sturnus vulgaris.—At Lyngseidet, early in the morning of the 17th, several Starlings were passing to and fro, and just before we left Tromso on the 21st, we noted a small party in trees close to the Museum. Pica rustica.—Magpies were everywhere in evidence. They are more pert and familiar than with us. Thus at Lyngseidet, on the wet morning of the 17th, they were prying into fish-sheds, chattering on window-sills, gables, and church roof, tampering with the split Cod hung to dry on the fish-rails, and making mischief generally. | Corvus corax.—The Raven was seen so frequently that it must be a very common bird in the Nordland. It was often noted about the fishing villages as we came alongside in the coasting steamer. [our were seen near the top of Floifjeld, and five came croaking overhead at Skjervo. C. cornix.—The Hooded Crow was fairly numerous, and its large nests were sometimes seen in the birch woods. When the young had only recently flown, the old birds were very noisy, angry, and excited. At Skjervé there were Grey Crows about the houses and church. Otocorys alpestris.—On July 14th, as we came down the Floifjeld, I heard an unfamiliar note. The field-glass showed a pair of birds, which, from their black moustaches and the ear-tufts of the male, were identified in a moment as Shore Larks. They were very quiet, and gave no indication of having a nest. A pair of birds which puzzled us earlier in the day were no doubt of this species. Dendrocopus minor.— Woodpeckers are scarce at Tromso, and none were seen. But on July 19th I noticed a birch stump which had apparently been worked by this species, a Northern Marsh Tit having nested in the hole subsequently. Cuculus canorus.—The Cuckoo, which at home had been silent for three weeks or more, was calling in the woods at Tromso on the day of our arrival, July 12th. Another was heard at Lyngseidet as we landed soon after midnight on July 17th. Falco esalon.—Of the smaller birds of prey, the Merlin was the only one met with, but it appeared to be fairly numerous. ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES FROM NORWAY. 65 One passed over our boat off the southern end of Troms6 Island on the 14th. Three days later, when in the ‘Lyngen’ off Dybvik, one flew over, and we saw another early next morning at Skjervo. On the 24th, in a glen behind Svolvaer above the head of the lake, we again heard the shrill note of the Merlin. There appeared to be a whole family of them amongst the birches which covered the lower slopes of the grey granite peaks. Haliaetus albicillaa—On July 19th we saw a White-tailed Eagle on the far side of Tromso Island. It was mobbed by Gulls. Lagopus albus. —A first meeting with the Willow-Grouse during a walk through the birch woods at Tromsé6 on July 12th served to remind us that we were in northern latitudes. The white wings and white-tipped tail render it a much more showy bird than our own. A pair fluttered up out of the willow-scrub, pitched again, ran with their heads down, and scuffled in great excitement, as six or eight ‘‘ cheepers”’ got up one after another, flew weakly, and dropped again into cover. On the 19th, at the spot from which a pair rose, we found a young one with its leg broken. It had probably been attacked by a Gull. The same day, in coming down from the higher part of the island over a bank deep in crowberry, we put up another pair with about thirteen cheepers, some of which flew, while others skulked. Several old birds and another brood were seen on Skjervo. When there were young, the tumbling and fluttering performance always occurred. On the 25th we climbed one of the peaks in the neighbourhood of Svolvaer. At about 1800 ft., while still struggling through the fern, something white appeared to fall from near our feet. It was a Willow Grouse tumbling down the hill-side. Two cheepers flew. Numenius arquata.—The Curlew was sometimes heard about muddy or sandy shores, as at Lyngseidet on the 17th. On the 20th, when we landed on the large island of Kvalo, it appeared to be breeding on the moors in company with Golden Plover. N. phe@opus.—We heard the Whimbrel’s rippling note coming from the muddy shore at Lyngseidet, where it was feeding in company with Curlews and Oystercatchers. Totanus calidris.—Redshanks seemed to prefer the far side of Tromso Island, where they piped excitedly or ran amongst the Zool, 4th ser. vol. IIl., February, 1899. F 66 THE ZOOLOGIST. long grass just above the shore. One would sometimes perch on a tree. At Grindé, on the 14th, a boy gave us a “ hard-sat”’ egg. On the 20th several were noisy about the Kvalé pools. I put up a young one just able to fly, and another swam out to avoid us. T. hypoleucus.—The Common Sandpiper was seen on the stream in the Tromsdal above the Lapp encampment, and again on the 24th about the shores of the lake behind Svolvaer. Tringa temmincki.—On July 20th we landed at Tisnaes, the point of the big island of Kval6 which is nearest to the southern end of Tromso Island. Walking over the peat-bog where cloud- berry showed its ripening fruit, we roused a small wader, which flew round with a trilling note, then settled on a lump of peat. It was presently joined by the other one; no doubt they had young hidden somewhere close at hand. T. striata.—A Purple ‘Sandpiper was seen on July 23rd on the rocky shore of an islet off Store Molle in the Lofotens. It was excessively tame. T. alpina.—The Dunlin was seen on the 20th on the Kvalo moors, and was from its manner evidently breeding. Phalaropus hyperboreus.—Walking over these moors, which strongly reminded me of Wales, we came to higher ground, and reached the series of small lakes of which we were in search. From a pool margined with sedge, a small wader got up and flew anxiously round, with a noise like “ wick wick,” then settled on the water. We watched both birds, one, probably the female, being rather the larger and brighter of the two. They swam high in the water, with the neck straight, head well up and nodding. Nothing of bird life in Norway pleased us more than this introduction to these trimly-built and confiding little waders. My friend half swam, half waded, out into the pool, and on a spongy islet found a slight hollow in the moss, the empty nest. We then in two places noticed something moving on the water as if a fly had fallen in. The glass showed that the appearance was due to a couple of nestling Phalaropes, which were swimming with scarcely more than their bills above water. Charadrius pluvialis.— There were many pairs of Golden Plover about these barren uplands; in fact, 1 have never seen them so numerous on any moor. ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES FROM NORWAY. 67 Ajgialitis hiaticula.—On July 14th a boy showed us a Ringed Plover’s nest with four eggs on the shingle at Grindé. On the 20th there were several of these birds about the beach at Tisnaes. Hematopus ostralegus.—Oystercatchers were very noisy about the rocky point at the north end of Grindé. They had made many nest hollows on the beach, which was here entirely com- posed of broken shell, with bits of coral and of calcareous Sponges. On the 17th, near Lyngseidet, a vociferous pair must have had young ones hidden close at hand. Others were feeding with Curlew on the mud-flats. We saw Oystercatchers on the 23rd on a little island off Svolvaer. Sterna macrura.—On July 16th, just before the ‘ Lyngen’ touched at Finkroken, on the Reino, we passed a little island upon which a large colony of Arctic Terns was nesting. They filled the air like snowflakes. Others were seen on the 28rd during a boating excursion off Svolvaer. Larus marinus. —A few Great Black-backs were seen. On the 23rd I noted a pair about an eg-vaer, or Hider hatchery, off Svolvaer. | L. fuscus.—A few Lesser Black-backed Gulls were breeding in company with the next species about the far side of Troms6 Island. The higher part of Skjervo Island, very rough ground, all crowberry and rock, was a gullery of these two species. Here on the 17th we caught three young birds of different ages, two of them nearly ready to tly. Others had. already gone down to the beach. L. argentatus.—Herring Gulls were very numerous on the 17th at Lyngseidet, where in the early morning they were pil- fering split fish from the drying rails. ‘The shore was littered with cod-heads and backbones, the usual refuse of a Norwegian fishing village. On the 18th we touched at the whaling station of Skaaro. Eleven freshly-killed Whales were floating at anchor alongside, two or three ashore were being flensed, and about a dozen carcases which had been stripped were waiting to be made into fish-guano. The water was covered with oil and floating refuse, so that the place naturally had special attractions for Gulls, which were in countless numbers. At Tromsé we bought two Herring Gulls’ eggs of the variety mentioned by Mr. Aplin. They are marked with red-brown and ash on a warm cream- FZ 68 THE ZOOLOGIST. coloured ground. The locality given was Musvaer, behind ‘T'roms6, and report said that in the whole colony, a large one, only one nest contains these red eggs each year. L. canus.—The Common Gull appeared to be generally dis- tributed, breeding upon the ‘‘ egg-holms”’ in the sounds, about small pools upon the bogs, and on rocky islets in the lakes. Wherever we went, a few pairs cackled overhead. At Skjervo, on the 17th, I waded across the softest of spring bogs to a nest with three eggs. At the Kvalo pools several old birds were noisy overhead, and we saw two young ones swimming. On the lake behind Svolvaer two or three pairs had young ones just flying on July 24th. Stercorarius crepidatus.—Richardson’s Skua was frequently seen about the sounds and channels in the neighbourhood of Tromso. At Grindo, on the 14th, I watched one amusing itself with a Common Gull, threatening it playfully. On July 20th, landing at Tisnaes on the Kval6, and walking inland, we soon reached the moors already mentioned in connection with the Golden Plover. A Skua appeared on the wing some distance in front of us. Its long pinions and hawk-like flight reminded one of the Kite. It was evidently excited. After some search amongst the lichen and crowberry, my friend picked up a nest- ling Skua in dark smoky down, its quills and mottled scapulars just showing. The bird, first seen, which was of the lighter variety, tumbled about. It was soon joined by another, wholly dark. Both showed their flight to perfection, and were rather noisy. The young one was not in the nest, but the latter must have been close at hand. On the 23rd we noted a Skua of the light variety flying over one of the islets off Svolvaer. Another was chasing an Arctic Tern. Alca torda.—At Tromso, Razorbills were constantly on the move up and down the channel. Uria grylle-—The same remark applies to the Black Guille- mot. Several were noted on the 14th when we rowed to Grind6. On the 22nd, in the ‘ Rost,’ we ran into the Trold Fjord, an inlet of the Raftsund, with grand surroundings. Here a few pairs of Black Guillemots were evidently breeding. Next day many were noticed in the course of a boating excursion to the islands off Svolvaer. Landing on a large rocky islet off Store Molle, we ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES FROM NORWAY. 69 scrambled along shore, and came to an inlet of blue-green water, framed by the scorched red granite rock, and with a dazzlingly white beach of broken shells and coral in places. The contrast of colours made a brilliant picture. Six or eight Black Guille- mots were fishing, each one going off with its fish when caught to feed young. Others were certainly nesting on an islet upon which we were not allowed to land, as the wooden cross and watcher’s hut proclaimed it an eg-vaer, or Eider hatchery. One of those seen was in the barred plumage ; can it have been a last year’s bird unusually late in assuming the adult dress ? Fratercula arctica.—Many Puffins were seen from the deck of the ‘ Lyngen’ as we ran across from Kvitnaes on the Vanné to the mouth of Lyngen Fjord. Colymbus arcticus.x—We rarely met with a lake or pool of any size that had not a pair of Divers upon it, usually followed by their two young ones in the down. On the 14th we saw three settle upon the Praestvand, the lake in the woods behind Tromso which supplies the town with water. At Skjervo they were con- stantly passing to and fro, uttering harsh cries while on the wing. As we watched the midnight sun a fine pair of Black-throated Divers with their young floated upon a pool just below us. Probably a dozen places were found where trampled water- weeds and pieces of egg-shell showed that young had been hatched. One pair had bred at the Kvalo pools. Others were seen near Svolvaer; one pair near Oos on the 25th had well-grown young. C. septentrionalis. —'The Red-throated Diver was not less numerous. Three were wailing in the inner bay as we landed at Skjervo on the 17th. As we came to one of the small sheets of water amongst the birch-clad hills, a pair were much excited, barking and rushing about the pool. We took this as an in- dication of eggs or young, but on returning an hour later the birds were gone. On the 19th we came across a string of lake- lets in the woods towards the northern end of Tromso Island. Upon the uppermost one floated a fine pair of Red-throated Divers amongst the flowers of the small yellow water-lily (Nuphar pumilum). They must have had young, as before taking flight they swam up to within twenty yards of us, and we could not but wonder how long they would survive if guilty of such temerity in less unsophisticated latitudes, A pair had a single young one at 70 THE ZOOLOGIST. the first of the Kvalo lakes; another pair had two young on the sedgy pool where the Red-necked Phalaropes were breeding. Phalacrocorax carbo.—Cormorants were seen on July 23rd on the rocks and skerries off Svolvaer. | Anser cinereusx—We did not actually meet with Grey-lag Geese, but, to judge from their droppings, they frequent the boggy margins of the forest pools on Tromso Island. The pinioned Grey-lags in the courtyard of the Grand Hotel at Tromso are said to have come from Karls6. Anas boscas.—One seen at a pool on Skjervo, another at the Kvalé lakes. A duckling which we caught on the 19th close to the water-lily pool above mentioned was probably of this species. Somateria mollissuma.—EHiders were common about Tromso and the neighbouring islands, but we saw only ducks with their young broods ; the drakes appear to prefer more open water. On July 14th there were many off Grindé. One party numbered five old birds and about twenty young; another duck had five, and yet another four under her charge. On the rocky point at the northern end of the island we found two young in the down washed up; they may have been killed by the big Gulls. A maternal Hider grumbled ‘‘ og og”’ as a Great Black-back settled beside her brood. ‘There was a nest in a hollow amongst the rocks with the down still in it; others amongst the rocky knolls, or just within the birch wood, had been cleared out, and were now mere hollows. A boy showed us a nest by the shore; the bird was sitting in a little stone shelter, from which she bustled clumsily out. There were only two eggs; one taken was on the point of hatching. On the morning of the 17th, as we walked to a rocky point near Lyngseidet, many Kiders swam out from the shore with their broods. It was very common to see two old ducks with five young ones between them: very many had none. Next day, at Skjervo, I noted two old birds followed by fifteen young ones, no doubt the produce of a couple of nests which had not been discovered ; we found one such still full of down on the less frequented side of the island. At Svolvaer semi-domesticated Kiders swam in the harbour amongst the boats, close under the hotel windows. When returning in the ‘Sirius,’ we lay to for some time at Kobberdal, on the island of Lokta, to take on board three hundred barrels of herrings. Close to us was a small islet ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES FROM NORWAY. 71 completely covered with huts for the Eiders to nest in; they were made of slabs neatly roofed with turf. Mergus merganser.—At Grindo, on the 14th, we saw a female or young Goosander in the channel just off the southern point of the island. M. serrator.—The Red-breasted Merganser appeared to be numerous. On the 14th there were several off the southern end of Grindo. At Lyngseidet, in the early morning of the 17th, as we rounded a rocky point, a female Merganser plumped off a rock into the water, while nine young ones tumbled over after her, showing white under sides and fluttering paddles for a moment as they wriggled off a flat stone into the water. The same day, at Skjervo, four females, immature birds, were at rest on a rock in the inner harbour, and a pair rose from one of the Diver-frequented pools. On the 28rd, as we were exploring an islet off Store Molle, three alighted on the water near us, and next day there was a party of four on the lake behind Svolvaer. 72 THE ZOOLOGIST. NOTES ON SHETLAND BIRDS. By F. S. Graves & P. Rare. Tue following notes were made during a visit to the Shetlands from 20th May to 4th June, 1898, when the breeding season of most species in these islands is commencing. ‘Three days at the beginning and end of the time were spent among the shores and islands about Scalloway, and two days in Unst. The remainder of the excursion included a day on Foula, a hurried run to Papa Stour, and several days in the Walls neighbourhood, with whose dreary heather-clad waste and countless lochs we became very familiar. ‘The weather, though dry, was for the most part cold, with high wind, which prevented much boating, and confined us largely to the land. WHEATEAR (Saxicola enanthe). — Very common everywhere. This and the Skylark are the characteristic small birds. Several nests with eggs found. WHITETHROAT (Sylvia cinerea).—On the rocky edges of the little landing creek on F’oula were a few warblers of this species. They were very shy and silent, and must have felt sadly out of their element, as there are no bushes there. Wren (T'roglodytes parvulus).—A few seen. Merapvow-Pirir (Anthus pratensis) — On the moorlands; common. Rocx-Prrrr (A. obscurus).—The ‘“‘ Bank Sparrow” was nume- rous on the Scalloway islands, where we found a sucked egg. Under a detached piece of rock on Foula was a nest with two eggs. SwatLow (Hirundo rustica). —On the 25th May we saw two on Foula, hawking along the little sheltered burn which falls into the creek forming the landing-place. On the 28th we saw two near the Loch of Cliff, Unst. Common Sparrow (Passer domesticus).—Seen in the neigh- bourhood of houses and outbuildings. Twitk (Linota flavirostris). — Frequent; principally on the coast, NOTES ON SHETLAND BIRDS. 73 Corn-Bountine (Emberiza miliaria).—About Walls and Balta- sound, in the neighbourhood of cultivation. Sxy-Larxk (Alauda arvensis).—Very numerous. The exquisite song, poured out amidst the high cold wind, enlivened the dreariest heaths of the country between Walls and Sandness. A nest with three eggs among the heather. STARLING (Sturnus vulgaris). — Numerous on Foula and else- where. We found them nesting in a variety of situations, as below the eaves of a stable, on sloping ground between two boulders on one of the islands near Scalloway; and in Unst, in the loose stone base of a low sod fence within a few inches of a little stream. They seem to place their nests anywhere within shelter. Hoopep Crow (Corvus cornix).—Common. There was an occupied nest on the bell-gablet of the Wesleyan Church at Walls. Raven (C. corax).—One on Foula, buffeted by an Oyster- catcher. ‘Two between Walls and Lerwick. SHORT-EARED Ow. (A8to accipitrinus).—One among the rocks near Braga Ness, Walls, persecuted by Hooded Crows. Kestreu (Falco tinnunculus).—One seen in Unst. Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo). — Saw some birds, but no breeding place. SHae (P. graculus)—Common. Owing to the rough weather we visited no nesting place. : GANNET (Sula bassana).—A few seen off the coast. Maruarp (Anas boscas).—Met with nesting both in Mainland and Unst, some of the nests being hidden in tall heather. In three cases the duck was sitting on nine eggs. TEAL (Querquedula crecca).—Two on one of the Walls lochs. Wiarton (Mareca penelope).— Two drakes on Hulma Water, 21st May. GoLDENEYE (Clangula glaucion).— Two on a small lake near Walls; others noted in Unst. Ewer Ducx (Somateria mollissima).—Nesting on the islands near Scalloway. In two cases where there were three fresh eggs the nests were lined with down. Abundant off Papa Stour; we saw, as meutioned by Mr. Raeburn, birds among the Great Black- backed Gulls on Lyra Skerry. 74 RAE: ZOOLOGIST. Rocx-Dove (Columba livia). — Seen everywhere on rocky coasts. In a cave on Fore Holm, F. S. Graves, with great difficulty, reached a nest in which were two hard-sat eggs. Close to this was another with newlv-hatched young (31st May). Corn-CrAkE (Crex pratensis).—F ive eggs taken on Foula in 1897 were shown us. GoLDEN PLovER (Charadrius pluvialis)—Only a few pairs seen, near Walls and in Unst; evidently nesting. RincED PLovER (Atgialitis hiaticula).— Very common on holms and stony barrens; sometimes also on loch-sides inland. Abun- dant in the interior of Papa Stour, where the surface has been stripped of sods, leaving a waste of sharp-edged red and white shingle, with scraps of sickly vegetation. Nests found on the Scal- loway islands. One on Hildasay was formed of the dry droppings of rabbits arranged in a well-shaped ring round the four eggs. Lapwine (Vanellus cristatus).—A few here and there. Evidently breeding near Whiteness and Walls. OysTERCATCHER (Hematopus ostralegus). — Common every- where on the coast. Nesting abundantly on the Scalloway islands. One nest contained four eggs. We saw the birds buffet the Raven and Hooded Crow. Common Snipe (Gallinago celestis)—We saw one pair at Snarravoe, Unst. Dounun (Tringa alpina).—A few pairs seen by grassy loch- sides. We repeatedly heard their reeling “‘ song,’ which was uttered when the bird was standing on a tussock, and not when on the wing. ‘They were very tame. At one of the places they frequented were several small cup-shaped nests on the tufts of grass, but laying seemed not to have commenced. Common SaAnppiPpeR (Totanus hypoleucus).— 'Two pairs met with near Walls on inland lochs. WHIMBREL (Numenius pheopus). — Heard the characteristic cry from the steamer while in Bastavoe, Yell. Curtew (N. arquata).—A few only seen, both on the moors and coast. One apparently breeding on Hermanness, Unst. Arcric TERN (Sterna macrura).—Noticed none on our first visit to Scalloway islands (20th May) ; on second visit (31st May) they were numerous at their well-known stations, and noisy, although no vestiges of nesting were yet to be seen. NOTHS ON SHETLAND BIRDS. 75 BuAcK-HEADED Guu (Larus ridibundus).—Seen at two places ; a few perhaps breeding on the shore of a voe near Weisdale. There is a colony on a rocky knoll in the middle of a loch in another neighbourhood. This little island has steeper sides than is usual, and a luxuriant growth of Luzula. On 21st May there were about twelve nests, empty, or with one, two, or three eggs. The eggs in each nest agreed in colour. Common Guuu (ZL. canus).—Common, and nesting in many places, on the low rocky brows of the Scalloway islands, in swampy lowlands near Whiteness, and at the tide-edges at Litt- lure, near Walls. Most of the lakes of the Walls district had a few pairs, the characteristic sites for the nests being little knobs of rock or boulders rising a foot or two above the water-level, with a hollow on the top just large enough to accommodate a single nest. Few of these by the end of May contained their full complement of eggs. Im a little shallow pond on the Chingies, Scalloway, were nests similarly placed. The cry of the Common Gull, a kind of harsh croak, is very characteristic. Herrine Guru (L. argentatus).— Common on the coast; we did not observe it nesting inland. Innumerable Herring Gulls, however, were resting on the Loch of Cliff. Opposite the Rusna Stacks, Walls, we saw nests with eggs on 23rd May; at the end of the month others on the islands at Scalloway had also their complement. LesseR Buack-BACKED Guut (L. fuscus).—Common. A few pairs nesting on Hildasay, both on a loch which that small island contains and on its coast; others on the cliffs near Walls. In many of the lakes of the Walls district are islands on which this species was gathered, sometimes in large numbers, for nesting purposes. These islands had lost the. ling which carpeted the lake-sides and other islets, and were richly verdant, and in some cases delightfully adorned by flowering marsh-marigolds, at this season almost the only conspicuous wild flower of Shetland. (On verdure produced by Gulls, see Mitchell, ‘ Birds of Lancashire,’ p. 253, second edition.) On one or two of these spots which we visited on 23rd May nesting operations had only just commenced ; we saw no eggs during our stay. GREAT BLACK-BACKED Guu (L. marinus).—Odd pairs breed- ing on some of the Scalloway islands. We saw (across a chasm) 76 THE ZOOLOGIST. the colony of Lyra Skerry, described by Mr. Raeburn (Zool. 1891, p. 131), and great numbers of the birds, mixed with other species, were assembled on the shallow ponds in the interior of Papa. The darker colour of the mantle, as compared with that of L. fuscus, was very noticeable. We were shown some eggs, taken recently (25th May) on Foula, where, we were told, the bird is rather scarce. KittiwakE (Rissa tridactyla).—Common. ‘There are great colonies, as is well known, on Foula, and in Burra Firth, Unst. On the former island we saw innumerable Kittiwakes flying from a bit of wet ground inland to the cliffs, each with a morsel of moss in its beak. GREAT Sxua (Stercorarius catarrhactes).— We saw the colonies both on Foula, and, by permission of Mr. EKdmondston, on Her- manness. At the former laying had just commenced. On 25th May we saw a number of empty nests, others with one egg, and about twelve with their full number of two eggs. The nest was usually a scratched hollow about a foot across. Ricuarpson’s Sxua (S. crepidatus)—Saw them nesting on Hermanness and Foula, on the latter in two places, near the Great Skua, and, in larger numbers, on the level not far from the landing place. On 25th May, on Foula, we saw one egg only, where a very large number of Skuas was collected; yet we were several times actually struck by the birds, which never occurred with the larger species, nor indeed with this species on Herman- ness, where in a few cases two eggs had been laid on 28th May. In both colonies dark-plumaged birds seemed to be in the majority. RazorBiuu (Alca torda). GuittEMot (Uria troile).—Abun- dant on the sea; we saw little or nothing of their breeding. Buack GuitLemMor (Uria grylle).—Very common and abun- dant; quite the characteristic sea-bird of Shetland. Laying scarcely commenced by the beginning of June. Lirtte Aux (Mergulus alle).—On the top of the brow near the Kaim, Foula, we picked up a part of a skeleton with the wings attached. PurFin (Fratercula arctica).—Numerous ; nesting abundantly on Foula; eggs seen. One we picked up had been carried some distance inland, no doubt by a Raven or Crow; it was undamaged except by a small dent, probably caused by the bird’s bill. NOTES ON SHETLAND BIRDS. 77 Rep-THROATED Diver (Colymbus septentrionalis).—A pair on a small loch near Walls, 21st May. We afterwards probably saw one of the same birds, flying overhead with outstretched neck, and uttering its strange unearthly cry. These were the only Divers seen, except a single bird on the sea near Yell, which was perhaps C. glacialis. Storm Perret (Procellaria pelagica).—Their nesting-holes were shown on an island near Scalloway. We saw also some eggs taken in 1897 at Brindister. Manx SHEARWATER (Puffinus anglorum).—We saw, on Foula, an unblown egg which had been taken on 18th May. Futmar (Fulmarus glacialis).\—Multitudes on certain parts of the Foula cliffs, as at the Kaim and Smalie. They had just begun to lay ; we saw an unblown egg taken about 25th May. The increase of this species, which established itself on Foula some time between 1870 and 1880, is very remarkable. 78 THE ZOOLOGIST. NOTES AND QUERIES. MAMMALIA. CARNIVORA. Cats in London.—The number of Cats in London, and their depreda- tions on wild birds in our parks, having been variously estimated, I applied for information to the manageress of the ‘‘ London Institution for Lost and Starving Cats,” who has obliged me with the following communication.— ED. ‘“‘T have much pleasure in replying to your letter, and in giving you the information you require. According to Mr. Hudson’s book, ‘ Birds of London,’ the number of Cats in our great metropolis cannot be less than three-quarters of a million, and the stray and starving ones certainly not under 80,000 to 100,000. The number of Cats we have taken in during the three years from the 22nd January, 1896, to 22nd January, 1899, is exactly 13,994. The first year we received 2450, the second year 4010, and this third year 7527, making a total of 13,994 Cats. We could increase the number tenfold but for want of means, and, in consequence, want of hands and premises. Depots ought to be established in every part of London, with one headquarter to take the Cats collected daily at these various stations. Also a tax ought to be levied on Cats, so as to decrease the shocking number of stray and starving Cats which now infest our streets, and thereby lessen the abominable cruelties to which they are exposed. We are only in our infancy as yet, but I hope, with energy and push, we shall in a few years’ time establish an institution on similar lines to the Battersea Dogs’ Home, with the exception that we search for Cats in every available corner, and call for them at people’s request free, but with the prayer for a little help. I should think the probable number of Cats in London could be easily estimated. There are few houses which do not shelter at least one Cat, and every tenement has, with few exceptions, one. Cats have on an average three litters a year of at least three kittens at a time, and the Cats breed at six months old. A Cat’s age ought to extend to about ten years, but this is only when they have good homes and are taken in at night. Cats exposed to all the hardships of weather hardly live beyond five years, and stray Cats very few months after they are deserted. We have received Cats in one or two instances twenty-two years of age, and several over eighteen. These of course were great pets, with NOTES AND QUERIES. 79 every care lavished on them. A Catisa delicate animal, with innumerable ailments. It easily becomes ill. It is a cowardly animal—if I may so express myself—and allows itself to die by not struggling against its malady, though at the end it dies hard. When a Cat gets a cold, or pleurisy, or distemper, it loses, through its nose being ‘ bunged up,’ all taste and sense of smell. The moment it cannot smell its food it will not touch it, and dies of starvation even with a dish of food alongside it. There- fore a Cat, when ill, must at once be forcibly fed, or it will let itself die. Every one of these 13,994 Cats have passed through my hands, therefore I ought to know something about them.” Polecats in Wales. — Last November I had two of these animals (Mustela putorius) sent to me from a certain district in Cardiganshire, where they are not so uncommon as is supposed. ‘They were both males, and in excellent pelt. The larger of the two is a beauty, his total length 23 in., length of tail 7 in., weight 2 lb. 3 oz. The fur is of great length and thickness.—OxLry GRABHAM (Heworth, York). White Stoat.—Although the winter has been so mild, I procured, during the last week in December, the whitest Stoat (Mustela erminea) that I have in my collection; barring the black tip to the tail and a few brown hairs round each eye, it is pure white. Its dimensions were—total length, 123 in.; length of tail, 3} in. ; weight,6}0z.; female. As will be noticed, the tail is very short, and the black tip only measured half an inch. Now, in my small series of skins, this is the second short-tailed Stoat that I have procured. The assumption would be that they had met with some accident, and part of the member was missing; but they were both skinned by myself. The tail tapered off to a fine point as in normal specimens, and there was nothing to indicate that any injury had been received. I should mention that the other of these short-tailed Stoats is a male. A friend of mine has a theory that these white Stoats are in several ways different to the common form—wmore slender in make, fur more silky, &c.—but in this I cannot agree with him. Certain it is, however, that they differ inter se very considerably in the length of their tails, and in the size of the black tip at the end.—Oxcey GraBuam (Heworth, York). AVES. Great Grey Shrike in Warwickshire.—A specimen of Lanius eacubitor was taken by a birdcatcher at Harbury Spoil Banks, near Leamington, on Dec. 27th, 1898. It was caught on the bird-lime, having made a dash at the stuffed decoy Goldfinches fixed upon a bush. Hvidently a young bird of the year, as I noticed the markings on the edges of the breast feathers were very distinct. When I saw the bird a fortnight after it had been 80 THE ZOOLOGIST. taken it had become comparatively tame and accustomed to confinement. -—— J. STEELE-HLuiorr (Clent, Worcestershire). Great Grey Shrike at Scarborough.—On Dec. 30th a Great Grey Shrike (Lanius excubitor) was killed on the shore a little to the north of Scarborough. ‘The bird had apparently just arrived, and was making its way towards the cliff when first noticed.— W. J. CLarxe (44, Huntriss Row, Scarborough). 7 Strange Nest of a South African Bush Shrike.—lI found a nest of the Pied Bush Shrike (Bradyornis silens) near the Fountains, Pretoria, Transvaal, on Nov. 6th, 1898. The nest was about eight feet from the ground, in the fork of the stem of a small thorn tree. It was built purely of twine. I examined it carefully, but could not find any other material used in its construction. The inside was lined with small white feathers. It contained three eggs of a pale green colour, splashed with red at the larger ends.—A.Lrx. Ross (Johannesburg, Transvaal). [Fountain Grove is a short distance from Pretoria, and is a favourite resort. ‘There is a hostelry there, many picnics held, and many corks drawn. Hence the twine.—ED. | Scoters in Hants and Isle of Wight.—Mr. Percival-Westell’s note on these birds (Aidemia nigra), appearing in your last December number (p. 505), rather puzzles me. Knowing the localities mentioned well for a number of years, I have found the provincial name of “Isle of Wight Parsons ” applied to Cormorants, and though frequently having met with Scoters, their flight has been of such a character that a description of them as ‘lazily winging their way” would require some qualification. Since 1866 | could number the instances of having met with them on my fingers, but owt of the breeding season they are met with frequently by the shore boatmen, who usually describe them to me as “some of them ’ere Scouter Ducks.” In November last year I had one close to me diving amongst the rocks between Bonchurch and Shanklin, and a party of five flew by me out by the wreck of the ‘ Kurydice’ in March, 1878. However plentiful Scoters may be, they are not generally known as “ Isle of Wight Parsons,” nor do they breed there. —H. Marmapuxe Lanepae (The Vicarage, Compton, Petersfield). Scoters in South Hants ?.—When I wrote that the Scoter (Cidemia nigra) was called the “Isle of Wight Parson” (Zool. 1898, p. 505), I was fully aware that the common Cormorant was subject to the same appella- tion, and I should have stated this in the first instance. In spite of Mr. A. G. Headley’s assertions, I still adhere to the fact that 1 saw the common Black Scoter every day during my fourteen days’ vacation in the NOTES AND QUERIES. 81 county in the middle of August last, either at Hayling Island, the Isle of Wight, or flying across the sea from one to the other; and that the drum- major at Kastney Barracks told me that they could always be seen all the year round. When I pointed one out to him, not twenty yards distant, he remarked, ‘‘ We call those Isle of Wight Parsons”; and others con- firmed this statement. I am a young ornithologist, and only too pleased to be corrected in any statements I may make, and I am much indebted to Mr. Headley for pointing out the error I made in regard to the Scoter’s flight. Those I saw did fly rapidly, and it was a grave slip on my part to say they lazily winged their way. The word regularly should have been substituted for lazily.— W. PrErcivat-WEsTELL (5, Glenferrie Road, St. Albans). | Late Stay of Land-Rail.—On Dee. 3rd I had a freshly-killed specimen of the Land-Rail (Crew pratensis) brought to me. On dissection it proved to be a female, and showed no signs of having suffered any injury which might have prevented it migrating at the usual time.—W. J. CLARKE (44, Huntriss Row, Scarborough). Nesting Habits of the Moorhen (Zool. Dec. 1898, p. 506 ; ante, p. 30). — We are well aware that birds differ somewhat in their habits in different localities, but this is often an adaptation to surroundings. My experience with regard to the species in question (Gallinula chloropus) is that it seldom, if ever, covers its eggs on leaving the nest, at least in this neigh- bourhood. In my birdsnesting days I have seen many nests and eggs of the bird, as I sometimes had the privilege of boating upon some three or four miles of the river Avon, which, being strictly “ preserved,” was a fine nursery for the reed-loving species, and I do not recollect ever finding a nest in which the eggs were even partially covered, except perhaps where the parent bird, alarmed at my near approach, had scuttled off, and in her haste had drawn a promiscuous reed across her eggs, with no attempt at concealment; indeed, the nwmber of eggs in the nest was often discovered before a very near approach, and this notwithstanding the approximate hue of the ground colour of the eggs and the reeds of which the nest was made ; it often seemed to me the similarity in colour of nest and eggs were protective items not to be overlooked. On one occasion, in particular, I remember finding a large branch of a tree which, during the winter flood, had been washed down and stranded in the very midst of a shallow and lagoon-like part of the river ; on a projecting portion of this branch, standing up some two feet out of the water, the decaying reeds, &c., had accumulated, and on the top of it was a Moorhen’s nest quite exposed, and the eggs were easily detected at a distance, as on account of the shallowness of the water at the time it was with difficulty the punt could be got to the spot; and I may Zool. 4th ser. vol. II1., February, 1899. G 82 THE ZOOLOGIST. here remark that, although the river was unusually wide at this particular place, yet within two hundred yards of the site of the nest a wood came down almost to the water's edge, the higher trees of which were occupied by a ‘‘ Rookery,” which one would think would have been an inducement for the Moorhen to use every precaution to protect her home; so unlike the habits of the Little Grebe, the eggs of which are invariably covered more or less. It always seemed a mystery to me how the latter bird managed to cover up her eggs so adroitly, and, greater mystery still, how she managed to hatch them in such a situation. With regard to the nidification of the Moorhen, I have often found that a much larger number of nests seem to be constructed than are ever used; but for what purpose is this apparent waste of time and labour? We are well aware the same thing occurs with © other species—the Lapwing, for instance; possibly some annoyance or unsuitable site is discovered after the work is begun, but in many instances another nest is made in close proximity to the one deserted. 1 have not found a large amount of variation in the eggs of this species, but on one occasion I discovered a nest containing three eggs which differed somewhat from the normal type, in that the larger end was much darker than the other portions of the shell, which was almost spotless except upon this darker zone.—G. B. Corsin (Ringwood, Hants). With reference to Mr. W. Hewitt’s interesting note on this subject (Zool. 1898, p. 506), may I be permitted to give the results of my small experience? 1 have never found nests of the Moorhen with the eggs covered over, neither when the first egg only has been laid, nor when the clutch has been complete. Only last year (1898), I examined, in this neighbourhood, more than a dozen nests of the Moorhen, and not one of them had the eggs covered over in any way. It is a well-known fact, how- ever, that the Little Grebe, or Dabchick, invariably covers its eggs over on leaving the nest. With regard to Mr. Hewitt’s suggestion as to the local variations in the habits of birds, I may say that what Moorhens’ nests I have found in other parts of the country—e.g. Essex, Middlesex, Surrey, Herts, Hants, and Suffolk—have never had the eggs covered over.—Basi W. Martin (Darley Abbey, Derby). With reference to Moorhens covering their eggs, I have one record of a bird of this species doing so, or partly doing so, after her full clutch was laid. This was near here, on May 21st, 1894, when a Moorhen I disturbed off her nest containing nine eggs, partly covered them with pieces of sea- weed and a fresh green leaf or two. She had then laid her full clutch, but was only just beginning to sit, as the eggs were fresh. On July 19th of that year I found, close to the same spot and probably belonging to the same pair of birds, one Moorhen’s egg lying on the bare ground, with a few bits of reed placed round it; on visiting the spot a few days later there were NOTES AND QUERIES. 83 four eggs in quite a respectable nest, as good as these birds usually make on land. On neither of these two latter occasions was there any attempt to cover the eggs.—A. Banxss (Beaulieu, Hants). A Habit of the Roseate Tern.—I think it is not generally known amongst students of birds that it is alleged (and I have great faith in the allegation) that the Roseate Tern (Sterna dougalli) robs the commoner and allied species with which it associates, of its food, after the manner of the Skuas. Some time ago I asked a friend, although not a professed ornitho- logist, but who had lived near a colony of Roseate Terns for two or three summers, and had constant opportunities of observing the birds, to give me a few particulars of the habits of this species, and he told me as a positive fact that he had seen the Roseate Tern rob the other Terns of their food, *‘not once or twice, but hundreds of times,” generally whilst on the wing ; but he has also seen them take food from the young of the Arctic Tern, with which their parents had just provided them. In fact my correspondent says :—‘* They fly a great deal swifter than the Common or Arctic Tern. They very seldom fish for themselves; if they see a Common or Arctic Tern with a fish in their bills, they pounce upon it just the same as a Hawk will upon a small bird, and take the fish clean out of their bills; they are very quick. I have even seen them take a fish out of a young Tern’s bill that has been in the nest. I can tell a Roseate Tern amongst a thousand Common Terns. When they are flying they seem to be longer in the body and longer in the wings than any other Tern, and they have a very hoarse cry, quite different to any other Tern’s. I have never seen three Roseate Tern’s eggs in one nest, nor even heard of their laying three eggs.” I visited the locality last season, but the majority of the birds had not commenced to lay their eggs, being unusually late in that respect. I did not actually see any Roseate Tern take food from the commoner species, although I watched several of the birds circling and wheeling about for minutes together. ‘This may be accounted for by the fact that they were not busy with nesting operations, and that this robbery is practised much more when the eggs are hatched, even if they do not then obtain all their food in that manner. Whilst in the district I made all enquiries I could respecting this alleged habit of the Roseates, and could get nothing but corroboration, sometimes even without seeking it. One of the local names for this bird is the ‘‘ Rosette ” Tern, probably only a corruption or a mis- understanding of the word “ Roseate,” and sometimes it is called the ‘*Rosy” Tern; but another local name used more among the natives who know the species is the “ pirate ” bird, from its habit of robbing the other Sea-swallows. One man with whom I am acquainted, and who has lived near this habitat of the Roseate Terns for eight years, told me he was certain he had seen these birds snatch food from the other Terns very G2 84 THE ZOOLOGIST. frequently, but said it was chiefly done when they had young to feed. I do not know anyone who has had such opportunities of observing this species as my informant, or who is better acquainted with the bird or its habits in the summer season. I also questioned one of the oldest inhabitants—a sea- faring man—who I have no doubt has been in the nesting locality of these birds more often than any other living man, and he is convinced the Roseate Tern does rob the other Terns of the small fish they carry in their bills from the sea. Several other men likely to know told me the same. Another striking piece of evidence is as follows:—Whilst I was watching a man repairing a small steam yacht, he remarked to me, “ Well, have you © been to see the pirates to-day?” That was just after my first visit to the colony in company with the owner of the above mentioned yacht, and it was the first time I had heard the birds spoken of as “ pirates.” The term had to be explained somewhat before I really understood what was meant. I shall be glad to learn whether any reader can confirm or refute this allegation.—E. G. Potrrer (14, Bootham Crescent, York). Iceland Gull at Scarborough.—On Jan. 1st, while fishing from the rocks in the North Bay, I noticed a Gull fly past which I took to be Larus leucopterus from its small size and the absence of black on the primaries. A gunner not very far from me shot down the bird as it passed over him, and brought it to me. It was, as I had imagined, an Iceland Gull in the cream-coloured plumage, with the back inclined for slate-grey, which immediately precedes maturity. The tip of the lower mandible was missing, having apparently been carried away on some previous occasion by ashot. The bird had, however, not suffered by the injury, and was in excellent condition. The stomach was empty. I have only noticed this Gull on two previous occasions at Scarborough. — W. J. CrarkeE (44, Huntriss Row, Scarborough). Birds in Kensington Gardens, 1897-1898.—The gradual extermina- tion of most species of birds in London makes it interesting to put on record from time to time those which still exist there, or are to be seen on migration. Mr. Yarrell has somewhere mentioned that in his day seventy- two species frequented Kensington Gardens. During the past two years I have kept a careful note of all the birds which I have happened to see in the Gardens. These I find amount to twenty-seven species. Of these, fourteen species still regularly breed there. The remainder are visitors, some appearing only at the season of migration, but with annual regularity. I have no doubt that more constant or regular observers might contribute to swell the list of visitors, but I have limited my catalogue strictly to birds which I have myself seen, only in Kensington Gardens, and clearly identi- NOTES AND QUERIES. 85 fied. Perhaps some other readers of ‘The Zoologist’ will send additions to the list. Song-Thrush (Turdus musicus).— Resident and fairly plentiful, but decreasing gradually. Blackbird (7. merula).—Resident, but somewhat less plentiful than the last. Robin (Hrithacus rubecula).—Resident and common. Hedge-Sparrow (Accentor modularis).—A few pairs still resident. Willow-Warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus).— Very regular visitor on migration, and may be heard daily at the end of April. Great Tit (Parus major).—Several pairs still resident, but decreasing. Blue Tit (P. c@ruleus).— Resident, and the most abundant of the Paride. Coal-Tit (P. ater).— Now only a visitor, I think. Marsh-Tit (FP. palustris).—A rare visitor. One specimen used to haunt the flower-walk in November, 1898, but, from its plumage, seemed fresh from the country. Wren (Troglodytes parvulus).—Not uncommon ; resident. Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)—Abundant and resident. Nests in the hollow trees and buildings round the gardens. Jackdaw (Corvus monecula).—A few pairs frequent the gardens, and nest in the old trees near the Broad Walk. Carrion-Crow (C. corone).—A pair (and sometimes two pairs, I think) nest regularly near Speke’s obelisk. In the winter I have seen parties of four or five in the morning before the gardens are disturbed. Rook (C. frugilegus).— Only a visitor since 18938, when for the last time twelve nests were occupied at the north end of the Broad Walk. A few Rooks visit the gardens daily, and on Feb. 2nd, 1898, a pair began a nest in an elm on Palace Green, but soon gave up the work. Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa grisola). — Still a regular summer visitor, and very interesting as the only summer migrant which still remains to nest. For the last two years a pair (and, I fear, the last) have had a nest somewhere near the Albert Memorial and Rotten Row. Swallow (Hirundo rustica).—A regular and very common visitor on migration. Martin (H. urbica).—A much less common visitor on migration. Sand Martin (Cottle riparia).—Rare; but, I think, comes regularly every spring. House-Sparrow (Passer domesticus). — Very abundant, and probably increasing. In these mild winters I have seen London Sparrows busy nesting on Jan. 25th. Partial albinos seem increasing in numbers. Chaffinch (Fringilla celebs).—Not long ago was resident, but now, J think, only an occasional visitor, 86 THE ZOOLOGIST. Pied Wagtail (Motacilla lugubris).— Fairly regular visitor on migra- tion, but only in the early morning. I have seen them in March and December, 1898. Yellow Wagtail (M. raiz). — Very rare on migration. I saw a party of five near the round pond early on April 27th, 1898, but they had departed by 8 a.m. Swift (Cypselus apus).—Rare visitor on migration. I saw four hawking over the pond on the afternoon of Aug. 8th, 1898, when the gardens were crowded with people. Tawny Owl (Syrntum aluco).—A pair, I think, of genuine wild birds used to inhabit a hollow tree near the orangery, and hoot loudly at night. They disappeared in the spring of 1897, and J have heard none since. Wood-Pigeon (Columba palwmbus).—Abundant and fearless. A few pairs remain all the year, but most depart in winter. They are early breeders, and I noticed them in pairs and cooing loudly in January. Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus).—Resident and nests at the Serpentine. IT have seen sometimes half a dozen together, but often all disappear for a time, and, I suppose, visit the other London lakes. Black-headed Gull (Larus ridibundus). — A winter visitor from October (or earlier) to April. Large parties often make their way from the Thames, but seldom stay long about the pond. Most of them are birds in imma- ture plumage and very fearless.—Harotp RussEit (Kensington Palace). Fecundity in Birds.—I have to thank Mr. Storrs Fox for his kindly notice of this subject (ante, p. 28). Perhaps he will excuse me if I in turn touch upon one or two points he brings forward. He says, “‘ Birds cannot be conscious weeks beforehand that the time for their departure is drawing near.” If Mr. Fox was in the habit of keeping caged birds he would realize, I think, that a Nightingale, for instance, feels the approach of the period of migration weeks in advance ; it is vaguely restless and unsettled. That it argues logically from this feeling of unrest, I could not venture to infer: what I believe is, that the bird is influenced so that it cannot quietly attempt to nest again. I have found in the case of both winter and summer visitors, that the migratory instinct begins to work upon the bird a month or more before it actually leaves. My caged Bramblings, to give a second example, begin to fret before February is out. Mr. Fox extends my suggestion, “a hen of small size could not well lay more than five eggs,” from the Finches and Warblers to the Tits. Again I was relying on cage- bird experiences. I have frequently stimulated Finches to lay more than five eggs, with the result that I have subsequently lost the hen: I have had fourteen eggs from a hen Bullfinch in about five weeks, after which she has died. From a foreign bird, neither Finch nor Warbler, I have had forty and fifty eggs in a season with no apparent resulting injury to the parents. NOTES AND QUERIES, 87 What I said is, I think, true of Finches, but it can only be extended to other genera with care. Mr. Fox will, I hope, see in another article some notes I had prepared on the other subject he mentions towards the conclusion of his paper, for the kindly criticism of which I am very grateful.—Basi1 Davies (Lincoln College, Oxford). A MP ELLE DA. Toad in Nest of Titlark.— On the 14th June last year, when exploring some sandhills in the island of Vlieland, in North Holland, I put a Titlark (Anthus pratensis) off her nest, and, on examination, found it contained three eggs, and also what at a first glance I took to be a young bird, and, from its size, perhaps a Cuckoo. On stooping down to examine it closely, I discovered that it was a Toad, and that the bird’s eggs were lying on its back. The Toad, on being touched, slowly and deliberately crawled out of the nest, the eggs slipping off its back into the hollow below, and began to bury itself in the sand outside. Inside the nest was an inner rim or ledge, which, from its appearance, looked as if the Toad had rested there some time. Curious to know the effect produced on the eggs, which formed the middle part of this strange sandwich, lying between the breast of a warm- blooded bird and the back of a cold-blooded reptile, I broke one of them, and found it nearly fully incubated and healthy. The Toad was a Natter- jack (Bufo calamita).—_W. H. M. Duruatx (Row, Doune, Perthshire). PALHONTOLOGY. A Monstrous Dinosaur. — Assistant-Professor W. H. Reed, of the Geological University of Wyoming, has made a great discovery by unearthing the petrified bones of the most colossal animai ever taken from the earth’s crust. ‘This fossil monster was a dweller in the Jurassic age, a Dinosaur, measuring nearly 130 ft. in length, and being perhaps 35 ft. in height at the hips and 25 ft. at the shoulders—an animal so terrible in size that its petrified skeleton alone is believed to weigh more than 40,000 pounds. Prof. Reed made the great find last August while prospecting for fossils ninety miles north-west of Laramie, and during the time which has elapsed since then the members of the University have been secretly at work in its restoration. The skeleton of the animal is so vast that its smallest bone yet found is more than a man can lift, and, with two men constantly at work, it is believed that many months will be required before the monster can be placed on the campus at Laramie. Although its restoration is as yet incomplete, still enough of its bones have been disinterred to establish its zoological position, and to place it in geological history as the king of all animals restored from fossil fields. In comparison to a Mammoth, this animal was in size as a horse toa dog. In the known fossil world there is 88 THE ZOOLOGIST. but one creature that can be compared at all with it, and this would be only as a child beside it. The famous Brontosaur at the Yale Museum, at New Haven, is its only animal criterion of measurement. This was an animal of its own kind, a fellow-creature in Wyoming, where for millions of years they have laid together in the same deposit. The skeleton at Yale was restored in 1879 by Prof. Reed, under the direction of Prof. Marsh. Beside this monster, the largest Dinosaurs of Kurope, and indeed the world, have remained since its discovery as only pigmies. For years the geological students have made pilgrimages to New Haven to study and to marvel at its immense skeleton. ‘This monster is believed to have been 70 ft. in length, and to have weighed perhaps 80,000 pounds in life. Prof. Reed says that, although it is practically out of the question to give an accurate idea of a living Dinosaur, he should think that the animal now being restored would weigh in life sixty tons, that it had a neck 30 ft. in length, and a tail about 60 ft. in length, and the cavity of its body, with lungs and entrails out, would make a hall 34 ft. long and 16 ft. wide; the head of the animal is very small for the size of the body. There is no building in Laramie large enough to hold it, and when taken there, it will probably be placed temporarily on the campus. The work of restoring has been greatly interrupted by snow, but it is being carried on as rapidly as possible. For a great number of years Wyoming has been known to con- tain some of the world’s most wonderful fossil fields, the first discovery dating back to 1858, and since 1877 Wyoming has been known to have the petrified remains of the largest land animals that have ever lived.— L. Smazt (777, Lincoln, Denver, Colorado, U.S.A.). ( 89 ) NOTICHS OF . NEW | BOOKS: The Last Link. By Ernst Harcxen (Jena); with Notes and Biographical Sketches by Hans Gapow, F.R.S. Adam and Charles Black. One of the most interesting, and certainly most suggestive addresses delivered at the recent meeting of the International Congress of Zoology at Cambridge, was that of Prof. Haeckel “On our Present Knowledge of the Descent of Man.” This has now been published in book form, as above; with many “additions and notes” by the Professor’s old pupil, Dr. H. Gadow. Man’s place in Zoology is still, as Huxley described it, ‘‘ the question of questions for mankind”; and if that remark was true in 1863, it is still more pressing to-day, when, as the author most truly observes: ‘‘ At the end of the nineteenth century, the age of ‘natural science,’ the department of knowledge that has made most progress is zoology.” The position of man in the animal world is now considered with calmness and discussed with urbanity. It was even quite recently, when brought into line with science, or discussed on an old and dear tradition, described, on one side, as “a tale told by an idiot,” or, on the other, as a matter of “sound and fury signifying nothing.” Both sides have come nearer to each other with further knowledge, and all who study the question now admit the evidence of an evolutionary plan. Whether that plan is simply the result of natural forces, or an evidence of a design beyond our cognition, is a question not for these pages. We can only summarise Prof. Haeckel’s views on this problem. He considers the celebrated fossil Pithecanthropus erectus, dis- covered recently by Dr. Dubois in Java, as a form which connected primitive man with the anthropoid apes, and as indeed the long- searched-for “missing link.” That man was “ known with cer- 90 THE ZOOLOGIST. tainty to have existed as an implement-using creature in the last Glacial epoch. His probable origin cannot, therefore, have been later than the beginning of the Plistocene. The place of origin was probably somewhere in Southern Asia.” In the evolution of man Prof. Haeckel is an advocate of the “heredity of acquired characters.” In this he is in distinct anta- gonism with Weismann and his followers. That this is not the crime against Darwinism frequently advanced is to be gathered from the testimony of the Professor, who states that on the three occasions he visited Darwin “we discussed this fundamental question in complete harmony.” The following observations seem incontestable. ‘‘If one denies with Weismann the heredity of acquired characters, then it becomes necessary to have recourse to purely mystical qualities of germ-plasm. Iam of the opinion of Spencer, that in that case it would be better to accept a mysterious creation of all the various species as described in the Mosaic account.”’ | Zoology has only fulfilled her mission in the discussion of this question. For a long time indeed will she foster the study of ‘* man’s place in nature.” We are not concerned whether science ultimately solves the problem—absolute truth will probably be the ideal more than the goal of our enquiries; but we may rest assured that ‘“‘ the work done in the present century by Lamarck and Darwin will in all future times be considered one of the sreatest conquests made by thinking man.” Zoological Results based on Material from New Britain, New Guinea, Loyalty Islands, and elsewhere. Collected during the years 1895-97. By Arruur Wit.eEy, D.Sc. Lond., &c. Parts I. & Il. Cambridge: at the University Press. THis is what we venture to designate as a real zoological publication, restricting its scope as purely scientific and technical. Dr. Willey made an expedition to the Pacific in search of the eggs of the Pearly Nautilus, an enterprise, in a biological sense, as much, or more, important than many other belauded expeditions. But science is not justified in all her children. This publication is devoted to the description and elucidation of the general NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. 91 collections made during this expedition, which, we read, “‘ have no claim to completeness, since they were not part of my special ob- ject; but new facts relating to such forms as Nautilus, Peripatus, Amphioxus, Ctenoplana, Balanoglossus, &c., cannot fail to pos- sess a peculiar interest.” ‘The opening memoir is by Dr. Willey on a species of Peri- patus which he obtained in the island of New Britain. One interesting fact is here brought out, that whereas formerly, and based on our then knowledge, it was a conclusion that the species of Peripatus could be arranged in three groups in accordance with their geographical ranges—viz. Neotropical, Australasian, and Ethiopian—the new species constitutes the type of a new group which may be designated Melanesian. The biological strength of this paper is beyond the aim of our pages; but itis not by new species that this journey will be alone remem- bered. Some animals were procured which, though known to science, were unrepresented in our National collection, such as the rare marine Snake Aipysurus annulatus, and Prof. Studer’s Kchi- noderm Astropyga elastica. ‘The work, as we announced in these pages (1898, p. 376), will comprise five or six parts; and the first and second have as yet only just reached our hands. Consequently, at present, a detailed review is impossible. Already a good staff of naturalists have commenced to contribute; and the names of Arthur Willey, Paul Mayer, G. A. Boulenger, R.J. Pocock, D. Sharp, Sydney J. Hickson, F. Jeffrey Beil, IF’. P. Bedford, Arthur E. Shipley, J. Stanley Gardiner, F. G. Beddard, and Isa L. Hiles are guarantees of special work by specialists. The work is beautifully illustrated. ee Wild Life at Home: How to Study and Photograph it. By R. Krarton, F.Z.S. Cassell & Co., Ltd. THE well-deserved success of the author’s last work, ‘ With Nature and a Camera,’ with its beautiful illustrations of animal life, has induced a wide-spread interest in the method of photo- graphing glimpses of nature. In response to many enquiries, as we are told, the present book is intended to clear the way for the in- creasing number of those who wish rather to possess realistic pho- tographs than the actual birds or nests, A “technical instructor” 92 THE ZOOLOGIST. would, however, be a misnomer for this publication, for it contains a host of good zoological observations. Mr. Kearton has a fair word to say for London Cats. ‘I have recently seen it stated that the birds of London and its suburbs have decreased because of the Cats and increased population. Whilst recognising the folly of hating a dumb animal merely because it carries into operation an inherited liking for one particular kind of food, I must frankly confess that I do not love Cats ; and it will be well to bear this avowal in mind whilst reading the following account of my experiences. This year I have known of the following species of birds having nests and eggs within five hundred yards of a Greater London farmhouse, boasting an army of no less than five adult Cats:—Pheasant, Partridge, Carrion-Crow, Missel-Thrush, Song-Thrush, Blackbird, Starling, House-Sparrow, Hedge-Sparrow, Robin, Wren, Barn-Swallow, House-Martin, Chaffinch, Lark, Whinchat, Red-backed Shrike, Yellowhammer, Moorhen, Lapwing, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Kestrel, Turtle-Dove, Whitethroat.”’ Of course the retort is obvious, that these farm Cats were presumably well fed and housed, and that the worst feline marauders are those houseless and starving brutes which, ill alike for themselves and the birds, haunt the crowded abodes of man. The author also gives his experience on a question now being discussed in these pages as to the nesting habits of the Moorhen. He states that during his residence in the neighbourhood of Elstree, owing to the depredations of Carrion Crows, “I do not think I can call to mind one instance of a Moorhen succeeding in hatching off her first clutch of eggs. The species has to depend for its perpetuation on the growth of reeds and rushes, which the old birds bend over their nests and thus hide their eggs.” The illustrations, as in Mr. Kearton’s previous books, are again very charming: photography more than illustrates—it reveals—nature. No longer are her secrets to be pourtrayed by the imaginative artist; we have now reached the stage of actual representation. In time the traveller must illustrate his books by the aid of the camera, or not at all. NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. 93 The Fishes of North and Middle America: a Descriptive Cata- logue of the Species of Fish-like Vertebrates found im the Waters of North America, north of the Isthmus of Panama. By D. S. Jorpan, Ph.D., and B. W. Evermann, Ph.D. Washington: Government Printing Office. 1898. In 1897 (‘ Zoologist,’ p. 178) we drew attention in these pages to the first part of this great publication. Part II. has now appeared in the shape of another massive volume, bringing up the pagination to a total of 2183, the number of genera described to 798, while the described species are now no fewer than 2510. In reading the descriptions of the gorgeous and bizarre colouration of many of these fishes, one cannot but feel that some of our speculations as to the meaning and service of animal colouration will have to be qualified by much apparently different piscatory evidence. How suggestive is the following account of the young of the Garabaldi (Hypsypops rubicundus), which are of a dusky scarlet, with intensely bright blue markings. ‘* These brilliant little fishes inhabit only large, deep rocky pools, hiding under the seaweed of ledges, and frequently swimming out into the open water of the pool. They are accompanied by the adult, the usual uniform scarlet colour of which appears a distinct lustreless yellow in the water.” The fish is common on the coast of California. Fossil Meduse. By Cuarues Doourrrte Watcorr. Washington: Government Printing Office. Tuts is one of the monographs of the United States Geolo- gical Survey, and forms vol. xxx. of that series. As the author remarks: “To the biologist the suggestion of silicified Meduse is a violent attack upon his previous conceptions of such or- ganisms, and the possibilities of their preservation as fossils in any other manner than as faint impressions on fine limestone, sandstone, or shale.” They, however, occur in a silicified con- dition, and have been found to belong to the Jurassic, Permian, and Cambrian faunas. ‘Their mode of occurrence in the Middle Cambrian of Alabama “ suggests at once the habit of living on a 94 THE ZOOLOGIST. muddy bottom in great numbers.” This monograph not only describes the American remains, but also those of the Jurassic . lithographic limestones of Solenhofen, the Permian fossils of Saxony, and those belonging to the Cambrian age in Northern Europe and Bohemia. With the usual ample, we might almost say lavish, manner with which these American governmental pub- lications are issued, this volume is embellished with no fewer than forty-seven plates. Birds of the British Isles. Drawn and described by Joun Duncan. Walter Scott, Limited. T'H1Is volume consists of a reprint of pen-and-ink sketches of British birds, with short descriptive notes, contributed by the author weekly during the last ten years to the ‘ Newcastle Weekly Chronicle. From an introduction, written by Mr. Charles Dixon, we learn that the author from his childhood has been a lover of bird-lfe: ‘‘ And this seems only natural, for he is the son of Robert Duncan, the Newcastle taxidermist, and was consequently brought up in an ornithological atmosphere, and in a, house where the family talk was almost invariably about birds.” Consequently this is neither what may be called exactly a work of science, nor a book of reference. It is, however, a publication which in its lengthy serial form must have drawn many of the ardent Newcastle politicians who read the ‘ Newcastle Weekly Chronicle’ away from the views of both Joseph Cowen and John Morley to a more peaceful study of bird-life. It is a book that many will buy who have never heard of Howard Saunders or his ‘ Manual,’ and therefore will reach a reading public to whom more scientific ornithology is a stranger. The work has been revised by Mr. Dixon, and is a real standard of skill and industry combined with a true love of nature. ( 95 ) EDITORIAL GLEANINGS. THERE will be few zoologists indeed to whom the name of Prof. Alleyne Nicholson is unknown, and by whom his text-books haye not been used. We greatly regret to see his death recently announced, and to observe the ranks of the older zoologists gradually thinning. Henry Alleyne Nicholson was born at Penrith, Cumberland, in the autumn of 1844, his father being Dr. John Nicholson, who gained considerable distinction as a linguist and philologist, especially in Oriental literature. The son was educated first at Appleby Grammar School, subsequently at Gottingen, and finally at the University of Edinburgh. At the latter University he gained the Baxter Natural Science Scholarship, and when only twenty-five he was appoiuted (in 1869) Lecturer on Natural History in the Extra-Mural School of Medicine in that city, an appointment which he held till 1871, when he became Professor of Natural History and Botany in the University of Toronto. This post he relinquished in 1874, when he moved to Durham in the same capacity. In 1875 he accepted the Natural History Professor- ship at St. Andrews. This post he held till 1882, when he was appointed Regius Professor of Natural History in the University of Aberdeen, and here he remained till the end. We need not enumerate his special work, as it will follow him. Tor the facts and dates of the above appointments we have relied on “ R. L.” in ‘ Nature.’ Grora Hermann Carxt Lupwie Baur was born in Weisswasser, Bohemia, Jan. 4th, 1859, and died very early and mentally exhausted on June 25th, 1898. As a paleontologist and zoologist, his life’s work was done in America, and in the January number of ‘ The American Naturalist ’ _ Prof. W. M. Wheeler has given a sympathetic obituary notice of the deceased naturalist, with a list of his scientific publications. ‘These number 144, and perhaps one by which he may be best rememberea is that in which he expressed the opinion that ‘the Dinosauria do not exist.” He believed that this group isan unnatural one, and is made up of three special groups of archosaurian reptiles which have no close relation to one another. His other most revolutionary enunciation—one since gaining the assent of many well-known workers—is the subsidence theory. ‘‘ Dr. Baur rejected the hypothesis of the consistency of continents and oceans, and asserted 96 THE ZOOLOGIST. that the Galapagos, like the Antilles, were formed by subsidence and not by upheaval, and that they were at one time connected with Central America through Cocos Island. This contention Dr. Baur attempted to prove by showing that each separate island has its own peculiar and harmonious fauna and flora—a condition which could hardly exist if the archipelago were of volcanic origin, and had acquired its plants and animals through acci- dental importation by means of currents from the mainland.” ALFRED Hart EVERETT, whose name as a naturalist and collector is so connected with the Malayan region, died last June from fever, combined with dropsy, contracted during his last voyages. An obituary notice has just appeared in ‘ Novitates Zoologice’ (vol. v. p. 606), from which we extract the following particulars:—Mr. Everett ‘“ was born in 1848, on Norfolk Island, where his father held the post of medical officer; but in 1853 his family settled in England, where he was educated. He began to show a strong taste for natural history at an early age, and it was not long before he conceived the idea of becoming an explorer. With this in view he entered the service of the Rajah Brooke of Sarawak. His work on Borneo in nearly all branches of zoology is too well known to require description. From there he made his successful expeditions to the Philip- pines, and to Palawan and Balabac, collecting chiefly birds for the late Marquis of Tweeddale. Being aware of Mr. Everett’s abilities as a collector, the Editors of ‘ Novitates Zoologice’ felt great satisfaction when, during his stay in England in 1894, he offered his services to Mr. Roth- schild, and they heartily regret that they are now terminated by his death. Besides collecting birds and insects for the Tring museum, he did much in other branches of natural history during his last voyages. There never was a more ardent zoologist than Mr. Everett, and when on the sick-bed a few days before his death he talked of nothing but birds and mammals, and of zoo-geographical problems and future trips to unexplored islands as soon as he should be strong again.” On the afternoon of January 23rd, a large Porpoise was to be seen swimming in the Thames off Blackfriars Bridge, which was watched by hundreds of persons.—Daily Chronicle. “ TAXIDERMIST.”—Who is responsible for the invention of this vile phrase? It is not in Johnson’s ‘ Dictionary.’ I suppose we get it from the French. It would have been easy to suggest a more regular formation, such as ‘‘ taxidermatist,” or more correctly “‘ dermatotaxist,” or even “ der- mataxist.” But scientific people are above such matters, and seem to con- temn them.—JuLian MarsHatt (Notes and Queries, Jan. 14th). tn ZOOLOG LST No. 693.—March, 1899. OBSERVATIONS ON THE COMMON TOAD (BUFO VULGARIS). By G. T. Roper. Hypernation.— Toads generally prefer a dry retreat in which to pass the winter. I have several times at that season found them buried in the dry soil at the top of a bank, under a thick thorn hedge. During the summer the shallow tunnels made by the Mole are often appropriated by these batrachians as diurnal retreats, and it seems not improbable that those holes which penetrate farther into the earth may sometimes be utilized as winter habitations. In like manner the burrows of our smaller rodents, those of the Bank Vole in particular, which run for a part of their course in a horizontal direction just beneath the surface-soil, are often tenanted by Toads ; and one of these creatures may often be seen comfortably seated within, with its head towards the entrance. In East Suffolk the period of hybernation appears to begin about the latter end of October, though an occasional individual may be seen moving about later. In the year 1892, near Stalham, in East Norfolk, I observed a full-grown ‘T'oad abroad on the 25th of October; and in 1888 a male was noticed hopping about here* as late as the 29th of that month. As is the case with our Common Frog (Rana temporaria), the young remain active and lively up to a much later period than the adults, and hybernation * Blaxhall, Suffolk. Zool. 4th ser. vol. III., March, 1899. H 98 THE ZOOLOGIST. with them appears to be far less complete; indeed, it is not very unusual to find them moving about well into November. In the year 1888, I saw a young Toad of the previous year climbing about among long grass and other herbage as late in the season as Dec. 3rd. Another on the same day, found secreted under a large stone, was quite brisk and lively. On Feb. 9th, 1891, a large female was turned out by the spade at a depth of about four inches, from ground which had been well dug during the previous winter, and was consequently in a comparatively loose state. This Toad sprawled feebly with all its limbs, at the same time alternatively opening and shutting its eyes. Three weeks or a month later it would probably have emerged and been making for water. BreEepine Hapirs.—Though the breeding season of B. vul- garis is rather later than that of R. temporaria, the former is to be seen abroad almost as early in the year as the latter. Toads have farther to travel to their breeding places than Frogs, as their winter quarters are often far removed from water. Males are often met with on their accustomed spring journey quite at the beginning of March. There is always a marked preponder- ance of that sex at the commencement of the breeding season, and all the time the Toads remain in the water the males exceed the females in number, though not to the same extent as at first. The former are the first to awaken from their long winter’s sleep. In the year 1882, I observed a male Toad making for water as early in the year as Feb. 26th, and in the following year noticed one close toa pond in which many breed on the 28th of the same month. In 1885 one was heard “chirping’’* or ‘‘ piping”’ in the same pond on March lst. In the years 1872, ’84, and ’93, I saw Toads in or near water during the first week in March; while in five other years (1886, ’88, ’89, 90, and ’94) their first appearance abroad, or rather the occasion on which their presence was first detected, has been some time during the second or third week of that month. These dates can only, of course, be considered as approximately indicating the actual first appearance. Toads usually remain in the water till the middle of April or even later; on one occasion (in 1884) I heard one in a ditch on * The high pitched note of the Toad can hardly be called a ‘‘croak.” The word ‘“‘ chirp”’ seems to express it more accurately. OBSERVATIONS ON THE COMMON TOAD. 99 May 9th. After the spawning season is over they seldom resort to water, except occasionally in very hot weather, or when they are suffering from the attack of a species of fly (Musca), which deposits its eggs under the skin or within the nostrils. The case of the Toad after these eggs are hatched is wretched in the extreme, and has been fully described by the late Mr. Newman in one of the admirable series of articles entitled “ Collected Observations on British Reptiles” (‘ Zoologist,’ Sept. 1869, p. 1830). An irresistible impulse drives these helpless and defenceless creatures forth every spring in quest of water, but a considerable proportion never reach it, but perish by the way from some mis- hap or other; while others, more or less injured by wheels, hoofs, &c., manage to reach their destination in a maimed and mutilated condition, minus a few fingers or toes, or even a whole limb. The wound soon heals, and, handicapped as they are, they nevertheless make shift to move about in some fashion, both on land and in water. In March the roads near their breeding places are sometimes so crowded with Toads that it is difficult to avoid treading on them. I once counted six males within three square yards, and the next day took four from a small under- ground cistern not more than a foot square. At this season, before they reach the water, there seems to be a tendency among the males towards assembling in small groups of from three to five or more. The male at this season is easily distinguished from the female by his smaller size and spare attenuated figure, which presents a strong contrast to the bulky form of his mate. His skin too becomes much smoother and more shining than at other times, somewhat resembling in texture that of the male Frog at the same season, but is not loose and baggy. The muscles of the forearm become much enlarged, and the general colouring is lighter than at other times, often taking a more decided greenish or olive tint. Possibly this may be caused by recent casting of the skin. A hard warty excrescence also is developed on the inner surface of the thumb and first finger. The skin of the female remains rough and warty as at other seasons. Among a number of Toads spawning in a ditch, I once found a male with two of his toes entrapped and held fast by a small H2 100 THE ZOOLOGIST. bivalve—some species of Spherium or Pisidium. One of these molluses had closed its valves upon the inner finger of one of the fore limbs, while another held tightly by the middle toe of one of the hind feet. Yet, seriously impeded as its movements must have been, the Toad was still able to swim after a sorry fashion. At the same time and place I noticed a very small male which had only one hind leg; all the bones of the corresponding limb were apparently wanting, but the foot was present, though smaller than its fellow, and attached to the trunk by the skin alone. Our Common Toad has a habit of swimming with the hind legs alone, keeping the fore legs or arms pressed against the sides. The Fire-bellied Frog (Bombinator igneus) often adopts the same method. The casting of the skin frequently takes place soon after the arrival of these batrachians at their breeding places in early spring, but whether the operation is always performed at this season I do not know. In the year 1882, I noticed two females in the water casting their skin on March 20th; and in the following year met with another female thus engaged in April. I have never been so fortunate as to detect a male in the act. The tadpoles of both Frogs and Toads are excellent scaven- gers, and the vast numbers which literally blacken the water of many ponds and ditches must be of great use in keeping it pure and wholesome. Decaying matter of almost any sort, animal or vegetable, is greedily devoured by them. I have seen them feeding on the dead bodies of Toads (possibly their own parents), Sticklebacks, and even of tadpoles, as well as on cow-dung which had dropped into the water; also on the soft parts of submerged and decaying leaves of trees and various plants, the veins being left untouched. Instead of roaming about, as it were, at random in search of food, some degree of unity and method may sometimes be observed in the movements of these vast armies of tadpoles. In the marsh ditches, where they abound, it is not unusual to find two dense streams of them steadily travelling close alongside one another, but in opposite directions; an “up” and a “ down” line, in fact, seems to be strictly maintained and adhered to, in order to prevent confusion. I once saw a number of tadpoles, OBSERVATIONS ON THK COMMON TOAD. 101 swimming in a long continuous line, which took the form of a figure of 8. As long as I watched them they kept on steadily tracing this figure, like the dancers in a Scotch reel. After completing their metamorphosis the young Toads, then hardly larger than the common house-fly, and nearly black in colour, soon begin to change to various shades of brown or dark grey, being always lighter on the under surface. Many acquire a more or less rufous tint, a deep dull brick-red or rust-colour being.very frequent. At this stage of their existence they are decidedly pretty and even lively little creatures. Numbers of them may be seen in early summer clambering actively about the wet grass-blades and herbage growing by the pond or ditch where they were bred, but not as yet venturing far from the brink. Owing, however, to their minute size, they often escape notice. Notwithstanding that the breeding season of the Toad is rather later than that of the Frog (according to Bell the ova are deposited about a fortnight later), the general exodus of the tadpoles of both seems to take place almost simultaneously. For this a thoroughly wet state of the ground is necessary, and, though their departure sometimes occurs much earlier, it is often delayed until the first soaking rain in August. In 1889 some young Toads in this neighbourhood (Blaxhall, Suffolk) had left water by the 27th of June, remaining, however, up to that time among the wet grass close to the ditch from whence they had emerged. On the 11th of July, however, after a heavy rain, young Toads were swarming all over the low meadows, and about the roads and lanes leading from them; but as yet none were to be seen on the higher ground. As these hordes of young batrachians spread themselves abroad over the face of the country, they show a great deal of perseverance and determina- tion in their attempts to surmount such obstacles as bar their progress. It is amusing to watch these little fellows striving manfully to climb an almost perpendicular bank ; time after time they come slipping down, but at once resume their efforts with unwearied zeal, and, being good climbers, their perseverance is often rewarded with success. On these journeys their way is beset with many dangers, and their ranks are sadly thinned by numerous enemies—such as Rats, Hedgehogs, various members of the Crow family, Fowls, Ducks, Corn-Crakes, and many other - 102 THE ZOOLOGIST. birds. In game-preserving districts, Pheasants probably clear off great numbers. The small weak voice of the Toad is occasionally heard at other times than the breeding season, though much less fre- quently. I noticed it on many occasions in the year 1892, more especially from the beginning of August till October, and heard one calling in a pond in Norfolk as late as the 4th of the latter month. At almost any season, on being taken in the hand, a Toad will occasionally protest feebly against such treatment by means of its voice. As a rule, batrachians of all kinds, as far as I am aware, breed but once in a year, having a “‘set time” in spring or early summer devoted to that purpose.* I have nevertheless once or twice at other seasons met with Toads having the altered appearance assumed by these animals at their spawning time. On the 14th of October, 1882, on a sandy common in Suffolk, I met with a male showing at that time those marked character- istics which I supposed to be peculiar to the season of repro- duction. The skin was smooth, shining, and of a greenish tint, the forearm exceedingly thick, and the thumbs furnished with knobs; but in this case they were whitish instead of black. It called out loudly on being taken up. * There are, however, notable exceptions to this rule regarding the regular recurrence of the breeding season; particularly in the dry climate of Australia, where the spawning time of various Frogs seems to be regulated and determined by the rainfall. Cf. J.J. Fletcher, ‘‘ Observations on the Oviposition and Habits of certain Australian Batrachians”’ (Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S. Wales, vol. iv. (ser. 2), p. 357 (1889). ( 103 ) NOTES ON THE SEAL AND WHALE FISHERY, 1898. By Tuomas Soutuwett, F.Z.S. At eight o’clock on the morning of the 10th of March, 1898, the steam sealing fleet left the harbour of St. John’s, Newfound- land, under the most favourable auspices, the prognostications as to their probable success, as well as that of the sailing vessels which had preceded them, being cheering in the extreme. A local paper, speaking of the departure of the fleet, says, ‘never did the voyage begin under more auspicious circumstances.” On the 27th of March these sanguine hopes were rudely dispelled, and the whole colony plunged into grief by the news of the most terrible disaster ever recorded in the annals of the Seal fishery. The s.s. ‘ Greenland’ was reported sheltering in Bay de Verd, and the next day she arrived at St. John’s with the bodies of twenty- five of her crew which had perished on the ice, and reported twenty-three others as missing, whose bodies were never re- covered ; many of the survivors being terribly frost-bitten. The cause of this disaster will be briefly explained farther on, but, as may be imagined, such a terrible commencement threw the deepest gloom over what was in other respects a fairly successful voyage. Nor was this the only fatality which had to be recorded, for the ‘ Leopard’ also lost two men, and the ‘ Mastiff’ became a total wreck, her crew, however, being happily rescued. By virtue of an enactment which came into force in the past season, the steamers were allowed to commence killing on the 12th of March instead of on the 14th, as heretofore, and the season is prolonged to the lst of May instead of ending on the 20th of April. The sailing vessels also, under certain restric- tions, are granted a bounty of 4 dols. per ton; this, it is hoped, may prove beneficial in inducing many vessels which would otherwise remain idle at that time, to engage in the fishery, and thus find employment for both men and ships. By some it is 104 THE ZOOLOGIST. hoped great advantages may be derived from these concessions, but, as usual, there is considerable diversity of opinion. Great uncertainty always exists as to the locality in which the breeding Seals will be found, and so entirely does this depend upon circumstances which it is impossible to anticipate with any degree of confidence, that the most experienced are often dis- appointed in their forecasts. What usually takes place on the east coast seems to be as follows:—Until the last days of February the breeding Harp Seals are found frequenting the neighbourhood of Greenbay and Whitebay, then, their time for reproducing having arrived, they all disappear, going off in search of suitable ice on which to whelp; this, as a rule, they find in about the latitude of Cape Bauld, sometimes comparatively near, at other times farther off the land; they then drift south with the ice borne by the southerly arctic current, which probably expands as its flows. But their progress is by no means an uninterrupted one: many and violent are the storms to which they are exposed, and the ice is driven hither and thither, some- times comparatively open, at others rafted and piled in in- extricable confusion, many of the young Seals perishing owing to the ice-fields on which they he being broken up. Westerly winds drive the ice off the shore, and easterly winds in the contrary direction, or it may be broken up and more or less dispersed by northerly gales. ‘The weather too is variable in the extreme, the changes being often sudden and unexpected. Hence the difficulty in forecasting the probable position of the breeding pack, and the great risks attending their pursuit when found. The Seals are very sagacious, and it is said of them that when Greenbay and Whitebay are full of ice at whelping time they will not go so far out to whelp as they would if the bays were free from ice, their object appearing to be to get a good stretch of ice between themselves and the land. The steamers, many of which had deserted St. John’s in favour of a more northerly point of departure, have in the past season nearly all returned to that port. Highteen vessels in all (two less than in 1897) took part in the venture, five of them visiting the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the remainder fishing off the east coast. The latter found the Seals without loss of time some distance to the N.E. of Funk Island, but the state of the NOTES ON THE SEAL AND WHALE FISHERY. 105 ice was most unfavourable, it being compacted into vast sheets of great thickness, which the vessels were quite unable to penetrate except by occasional openings or cracks, in one of which the ‘Mastiff’ met with her disaster. An attempt was made by her, on the 14th of March, to reach the main body of the Seals about seventy-two miles N.N.E. of the Funks by passing up one of these lanes of open water, when a sudden change of wind caused the floes to close in upon her, and in less than two hours she sank, crushed by the ice, with 7000 Seals on board. Happily her crew were saved by other vessels in her vicinity. The story of the ‘Greenland’ is asad one. On the 21st of March she had four watches on the ice, consisting of 189 men (out of a crew of 207), recovering panned Seals, of which there were about 20,000; later on she took on board the first watch consisting of thirty-five men, and on proceeding to recall the others the steamer got jammed in sight of the men, who were unable to reach her owing to open water between them and the vessel; at 4.30 the storm broke with such fury that the ship barely escaped foundering. At five o’clock the next day the gale somewhat abated, and they succeeded in rescuing one hundred men, all of whom were frost-bitten, and some badly injured by falls on the ice. ‘The wind then again increased to such a degree that it was impossible to get the boats out. On the 28rd six more men were picked up alive, and sixteen dead. Only one other dead man was subsequently recovered, and on the 26th the search was abandoned and the ‘Greenland’ bore up for home, seriously damaged, and with twenty-five of her crew dead on board, twenty-three others being missing. The two men lost from the ‘Leopard’ probably perished from exhaustion, or walked into the water through ice-blindness ; a third man was fifty-nine hours on the ice, and in a deplorable condition when rescued. Sucha chapter of accidents has never previously been known in the Seal fishery, and the circumstances under which the misfortunes occurred bring forcibly to mind the dangers and hardships owing to sudden atmospheric changes, as well as the personal toil and risk which are experienced in the prosecution. of this arduous and perilous occupation. The young Harp Seals were struck by most of the vessels on ~ the 13th of March, which, falling on Sunday, killing did not begin 106 THE ZOOLOGIST. till the 14th; and, although found thus early, they were well matured. The patch lay E. and W. along the edges of the ice- sheets, not in the middle of the pans, as is usually the case; and the ‘Algerine’ reports that when she came up to the main body of the young Harps the noise was so great that orders given on board the ship were heard with difficulty; on the 14th her own crew killed 12,000. The ‘ Walrus’ was equally fortunate in finding the Seals, but in the gale which followed she lost thirty- seven pans, containing some 5000 Seals. The ‘Newfoundland’ is also said to have lost over 3000 in the same way; and who can tell how many more were thus unprofitably sacrificed? The ‘Terra Nova’ was the only vessel which secured any appreciable number of Hooded Seals later in the season. Of the four vessels which went to the Gulf fishery, the ‘Panther’ ran down the Newfoundland shore in loose ice with the hope of reaching the eastern Harps which are supposed to whelp near Cape Whittle, on the Canadian shore; but, finding the winds unfavourable and the ice getting tighter, ran back again, and was fortunate in finding the Hoods seventy miles E.N.E. of the Bird Rocks, and secured nearly 6000 old and young of these large Seals. The ‘Nimrod’ and ‘ Hope’ found the young Harp Seals on the 22nd of March off Byron Island, but the ‘ Kite’ and the ‘ Harlaw,’ which went in search of the western Harps, did very badly. With regard to the Gulf fishery, Mr. Thorburn was good enough to give me the following particulars :—‘‘ Westerly winds force the ice on the Newfoundland shore, and those from the east on that of Canada; so that the safest plan is, as a rule, to keep in the centre of the Gulf, where there is almost always a movement in the ice when the tide turns. Capt. Joy, who has been much in the Gulf, informs me that he thinks there are two currents, one going N.K., the other S.W., which meet off Cape Whittle, keeping that part of the Gulf more or less open. I do not think the masters of the Gulf boats make up their minds as to what Seals they are going after until they enter the Gulf and ascertain the state of the ice, and how the winds are. Owing to the prevalence of westerly winds, I do not think the eastern Harps were ever seen last year, and these same winds blew the western Harps, which are seldom got at, towards the Newfound- NOTES ON THE SEAL AND WHALE FISHERY. 107 land shore and the open Atlantic to the southward of that. They are supposed to whelp fifty miles or so to the westward of the Magdalene Islands on immense sheets, or possibly, even probably, on ice frozen to and extending out a long distance from the Canadian shore. Unless there is a prevalence of strong westerly winds, or an unusually mild spring, these Harps are seldom got in any quantities. Capt. Joy says that the eastern Harps whelp on the ice in the neighbourhood of Cape Whittle, and are driven by the winds up or down the Gulf, or from shore to shore; he also told me that the people on the Magdalene Islands told him that a good many small black [dark coloured ?] Seals whelp near there, and that their young take to the water as soon as born. From what he heard, he believes that about 13,000 western Harps were taken by the people on the Magdalene and Byron Islands, and that many Seals were crushed by the ice rafting on these islands.” The total number of Seals taken by the fleet of eighteen steamers, of the aggregate capacity of 5595 tons, and manned by 3802 seamen, was 241,708, of a net value of about £80,000, as compared with 126,628, valued at £32,564, in the previous season; to these must be added some 30,000 taken by the sailing vessels and by the shore fishermen—a very considerable improvement on the last two years. The ‘ Aurora’ again headed the list with 25,633, closely followed by the ‘ Neptune’ with 25,503. ‘There were five others which secured more than 15,000 each, and another five had more than 10,000 each; the remaining six averaged 5088 each. The most unfortunate were the ‘ Kite’ and the ‘ Harlaw’ (1235 and 778 respectively) which went in search of the western Harps in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. No Dundee vessels were present at the Newfoundland sealing. In my last year’s notes (p. 77), I mentioned that a company called the ‘‘ Cabot Whale Fishery Company” had been formed at St. John’s to prosecute the Fin-Whale fishery off the coast of Newfoundland after the Norwegian fashion. This fishery has been carried on from Snook’s Arm (near Cape John in Notre Dame Bay). The season closed early in November, and ninety- two Whales were captured by the ‘Cabot,’ the only vessel at present employed, Only the blubber and baleen are at present 108 THE ZOOLOGIST. utilized, and the carcases are sent adrift; but the Company, Mr. Thorburn informs me, are fitting up premises in Hermitage Bay, where a winter Cod-fishery is carried on, for disposing of the Whales which are still in that neighbourhood, probably for the same reason which proves attractive to the Cod. From the east coast, where the Whales had been very numerous near the shore, they disappeared early in November, but in 1897 they are said to have been more numerous in that locality in November and December than at any other time. Three different kinds of Whale are said to have been killed by the ‘ Cabot,’ but I have not been able to ascertain the species farther than that they are reported as ‘‘ Finbacks”’ and ‘‘ Hump-backed” Whales. The Seal fishery in the Greenland Seas, so far as the Dundee vessels is concerned, has practically become a thing of the past, and, such as it is, has almost drifted into the hands of the Nor- wegian vessels. Only the ‘ Polar Star’ and the ‘ Balena’ were present last season ; the former killed fifty Seals, and the latter about 400, but later in the season this number was increased to 716. A total of 779 represented all the Seals brought home this season both by the Greenland and Davis Straits vessels. There were twelve Norwegian vessels at the Greenland sealing. I am not aware what the total number of Seals killed by them amounted to, but their success could have been little better than that of the Scotch ships, for I am told the largest catch of the fleet was only 700 Seals. Compare this with a total catch of 37,922, and an average of 2917 for thirteen Scotch vessels in 1883. The ‘ Polar Star’ and the ‘ Balena’ were the only two Scotch vessels in the Greenland Sea, and during the whole season not a single Right Whale was seen by either of them. From other circumstances, however, their experiences were of considerable interest. Capt. Davidson, of the ‘Polar Star,’ finding the ice quite unsuitable for whaling, early in June headed for the coast of Greenland in search of Hooded Seals and Walrus; seventy of the latter, fine old animals, he was successful in securing, but no Seals. ‘* While in lat. 74° N.,” says the report of Capt. David- son’s voyage, ‘‘ with fine weather and light ice, he took his vessel close inshore, and without difficulty landed on a spot only one hundred miles to the southward of the farthest point reached by NOTES ON THE SEAL AND WHALE FISHERY. 109 the German expedition,* which partly explored this coast. The scenery was magnificent. It was a mountainous country, with smiling fertile valleys clothed with verdure and carpeted with wild flowers and grasses, the air summer-like and balmy; butter- flies fitted here and there, bees and wasps hummed from flower to flower, and singing birds made the air resound with merry music. . . . In the valleys were seen large herds of Musk-Oxent browsing contentedly on the green sward, and hunting expeditions were quickly arranged. . . . The total bag amounted to twenty- four head. It was with regret that a district so charming was left behind for the rigours of the Greenland Sea.” Although perhaps this description may be a trifle florid,{ it can easily be imagined how charming this arctic paradise must have proved, in such perfect weather, to men who had been for so many weeks pent up on shipboard, anxiously threading their way through the ice-floes. Mr. Kinnes tells me the Musk-Oxen were very numerous,§ and that the crew of the ‘ Polar Star’ killed only those they found straggling on the beach and islands, and did not molest those on the mainland. In latitude 74° 45’ N., long. 20 W., an Esquimaux graveyard was discovered, containing the remains of a large number of bodies of both sexes, with im- plements and weapons; several of these latter were brought home by the crew. The ‘ Balena, as already said, was equally unsuccessful in her search for Whales; consequently her captain determined to revisit Franz Josef Land in search of Walrus. He arrived at Cape Flora on the 25th of June, and, in spite of bad weather, killed 257 of these beasts; but they were of small size, and con- * The Danish expedition in 1891-92, under Lieut. Ryder, is probably here referred to. He wintered in Hekla Harbour, Scoresby’s Sound, in 1891. + See also ‘ Zoologist’ for 1890, p. 83. } That this is not overdrawn we have the testimony of Lieut. Ryder, who, on the same coast, found a profusion of animal and vegetable life; Reindeer in “*wonderful numbers,” many Musk-Oxen, thirty-two species of birds. The richness of the vegetation and the size attained by the plants, he says, was “astonishing.”” One hundred and fifty flowering plants were found in Scoresby’s Sound. In fact, we who have not witnessed it have little idea of the beauty and profusion of the Arctic flora in favoured localities. § Through the kindness of Mr. Kinnes, I have been able to secure a good head for the Norwich Castle Museum. 110 THE ZOOLOGIST. sequently of little value. Returning once more to the Greenland fishing, Capt. Robertson continued his search for Right Whales until the 22nd of August, but without success, and on that day bore up for home. The absence of Right Whales in the Greenland Seas is to be attributed to the condition of the ice on their feeding grounds; it was not only too far north, but, when found, too hght to be attractive to these animals. The fact of the landing of the crew of the ‘ Polar Star’ on the east coast of Greenland, already referred to, is indicative of a very unusual absence of ice on that shore. Farther east, Dr. Nathorst, in the Swedish ship ‘ Antarctic,’ not only made a thorough survey of Bear Island, to the south of Spitz- bergen, but visited White Island, the mysterious Wyche’s Island (misnamed King Charles’s Land), and other islands in the N.E., and was enabled to circumnavigate the whole of the Spitzbergen group in one season, a feat, I believe, never before accomplished. In the longitude of Charles XII. Islands he reached 81° 14’ N. latitude, and is of opinion that had he been a fortnight earlier he might have attained a still higher latitude. Farther west (4° 9’ W.) he found the margin of the Greenland pack-ice in 78° 1’ N. latitude. The fact of the ‘ Balena’ and two Norwegian vessels again reaching Franz Josef Land is a sufficient indication of the state of the ice farther east. Capt. Robertson says :—‘*‘ When there is good ice on the east longitude, we have the best chance of fishing ; when we cannot see Spitzbergen from the edge of the ice in lat. 79° N. during May, it is a poor look-out.’’ Such being the case, the failure of the Whale fishery in the exceptional ice- years we have had of late is not a matter of surprise. The ‘ Polar Star’ brought home with her seventy Walrus, fifty Seals, yielding eight tons of oil, and seventeen Bears; the ‘ Balena,’ two hun- dred and fifty-seven Walrus, seven hundred and sixteen Seals, yielding thirty tons of oil, and twenty-two Bears, four of which were alive. ‘lhe Bottle-nose Whale fishery, which was once so productive, is now quite discarded by the British vessels. Three vessels, the ‘ Eclipse,’ ‘ Diana,’ and ‘ Nova Zembla,’ left Dundee for Davis Strait, and the ‘ Active ’ made an experimental voyage to Hudson Strait, the result of which was one hundred and fifty Walrus and seventeen Bears. In May and June the ‘ Eclipse’ NOTES ON THE SHAL AND WHALE FISHERY. 111 searched the east side of Davis Strait, working gradually north- ward; she experienced very adverse weather, gales of wind alter- nating with calms and dense fogs, and it was not till reaching the ‘“‘middle-ice,” that on the 16th of July she saw her first fish. Whales being abundant in this locality, she remained fishing there, but lost her first two owing to fog; better fortune, how- ever, awaited her, for on the 18th she killed a fine fish of 11 ft. 6 in. bone, and between that date and the 27th had increased the number to five, all killed in the space of nine days. Further search proved vain, and no more Whales were seen by Capt. Milne after that time. Towards the end of August the ice began to mass in the Straits, and the ‘ Eclipse’ had some difficulty in running south; but on the 7th September she bore up for home, accomplishing the passage in thirteen days. The ‘ Kclipse’ had on board five Right Whales, twenty-three Walrus, and fifteen Bears (one of which was captured alive), producing 72 tons of oil and 90 cwt. of bone, a cargo worth something like £7000. The ‘Diana’ was not so fortunate as the ‘Eclipse’; she encountered the same heavy weather, and, after a visit to Melville Bay, put back to the ‘‘ middle fishing,” where she was successful in killing one good fish early in July; but, although several others were seen, this was the only one which fell to her lot. Proceeding to Elwin Bay, White Whales were found to be numerous, and 450 were killed up to the 16th of August, when search was made on the north side of the Sound for Walrus, but, owing to bad weather, with small success. Pond’s Bay and Scott Bay were full of ice, and the ‘ Diana’ was headed for Godhavn, which she reached on the 6th of September, and two days after bore up for home, reaching Dundee after a fine passage of fifteen days, with one Right Whale, four hundred and fifty White Whales, eighty large Walrus, and five Bears, one of which was alive. The yield of oil was 94 tons, and 22 ewt. of bone. The ‘ Nova Zembla’ was still less successful, and lost valuable time on two occasions beset in the ice; her only good fortune was in Prince Regent’s Inlet, where she killed five hundred and thirty-three White Whales, five Narwhals, and nine Walrus. Finally her take was five hundred and thirty-four White Whales, eleven Walrus (one of which was captured alive), and four Bears —yielding 78 tons of oil. 112 THE ZOOLOGIST. The total catch of the Dundee fleet was 6 Right Whales, 984 White Whales, 591 Walrus, 779 Seals, and 80 Bears, yielding 297 tons of oil and 112 cwts. of bone. The produce is of so miscellaneous a nature that I am unable to estimate its total value, but may say that the present price of whalebone is £1450 per ton (that under six feet long half-price) ; the oil, all round, £17 10s. per ton; White Whale skins vary from 30s. to 35s, each ; and Walrus hides, if very large, may be worth as much as £40 each, or, if small, as little as 5s. each; those taken by the ‘Active,’ ‘ Diana,’ and ‘ Polar Star,’ I am told, would average about £12 each; but the ‘ Baleena’s,’ from Franz Josef Land (as last year), being small and of light weight, were of little value. The Walrus ivory is said to be worth ls. 6d. to 2s. 9d. per Ib., according to size. My best thanks are, as usual, due to Mr. Michael Thornburn, of St. John’s, Newfoundland, and Mr. R. Kinnes, of Dundee, for their kindness in supplying me with the bulk of the statistics embodied in the above notes. (oe EBB) ORNITHOLOGICAL RECORD FROM NORFOLK FOR 1898. Bw. Tle 'Gurnny, W.Z7S: (AssistED By OTHER Locat Naruratists.) As usual, with the Editor’s permission, I apply myself to the office of coroner for the birds of the county, but am glad to say an East Anglian naturalist’s note-book is not such a death-roll as it used to be, except for Hawks and Owls, the law seeming to be a dead letter as regards these birds. A more self-opinionated race than gamekeepers does not exist. One of the fraternity remarked in my hearing that he did not think the Kestrel did much harm, but he added significantly, ‘“ It is all the same to me; if I have my gun, I shoot all Hawks.” I think all masters should forbid indiscriminate shooting. Surely there is no preserver of game to whom it would not be mortifying to see a beautiful Kestrel swinging in a post-trap, which in its last struggles (per- haps with “ Velveteens ” looking on) has thrown up a large pellet of beetles’ wings ; and this was witnessed on the 16th of August, when there was no excuse for setting a pole-trap. The keeper's onslaughts on the Sparrow-Hawk may be pardoned, because this thief is almost entirely a bird-eater, and there is no fear of his exterminating that species while so many arrive both by night and day. ‘They must still be very common somewhere. I do not wish to give the pretty Butcher-bird a bad name, but I have it on pretty good authority that our Red-backed Shrike was again convicted of killing some very small Pheasants at Cromer. This is no surprise to anyone who has seen this strong bird carrying off in its feet a prey half as big as itself, but keepers should know that the large yellow-tailed Humble-bee is its favourite food. Another deadly robber of game-eggs is the Carrion Crow, but. for all that I am glad to say they have again this summer nested by the river at Keswick, though not in their old plantation. We- found the nest, which is always a large construction, with a very: Zool. 4th ser. vol. IIT., March, 1899. I ae THE ZO00LO0GIST. substantial foundation of thick sticks, and I think it is more cup- shaped than a Rook’s nest. A very few of these birds still keep to our river valleys, but before long they will be as extinct as the Raven. Mr. Caton Haigh tells me they are still abundant in Lincolnshire, as well as the Magpie, which is becoming very rare in Norfolk. There is another class which is suffering greatly—I mean the marsh birds—which in the past have helped to render Norfolk Broads so attractive by their presence. This great diminution is no doubt in part due to the decreasing area of our Broads, most of which are gradually “ growing up”; but still more owing to the number of river yachts and wherries which visit these attrac- tive water-ways, and scare the. birds, to say nothing of what has been done to compass their destruction by a well-known dealer in birds’ eggs in the West of England. It is now several years since the Reeve has bred in Norfolk, in fact, not since 1889, when, walking over ‘‘ Rush-hills,” I found the nest, and was near treading on the four eggs. The last appearance, or rather re-appearance, of these birds in any quantity was in 1893, when for some reason there was an unprecedented passage of waders of all sorts through Norfolk. On May 24th of that year my correspondent, the Rev. M. C. Bird, observed more than twenty Ruffs and Reeves at their old home, some of the males with fine frills, a sight neither he nor any other naturalist is likely to see again. Coincident with the increase of the Shoveller, the Garganey Teal has become very rare, and the reason is not obvious. The marshman at Sutton has not known of a nest for some years, and I doubt if 1898 saw two nests hatched off in the whole Broad district ; while there is no other spot in England where these birds breed. I remember when their eggs were not uncommon at Hickling, but now Mr. Bird’s notes from time to time only mention the Garganey as a great rarity compared to the Shoveller, and generally seen in April. Mr. Bird has not been able to definitely ascertain whether any Garganeys have bred in the Hickling district since 1891. Of another species, the Spotted Crake, formerly very charac- teristic of the Broads, Mr. Bird, in a recent letter, writes :— ‘“‘ Spotted Rails have not been nearly so frequent of late years ; ORNITHOLOGICAL RECORD FROM NORFOLK. 115 one at Potter Heigham, on the 5th of October, is the only one I have heard of being shot for some time.” It appears that up to twenty years ago Spotted Crakes were pretty numerous, but since September and October, 1881, when there was a migration, they have been steadily decreasing in Kast Norfolk (cf. Mr. Bird’s notes, Zool. 1890, p. 457). I am glad to see from Mr. Archi- bald’s communication that it is not the same in Lakeland, and have no doubt the presence of so many visitors on our principal Broads helps to drive them away. The annexed table is an approximate estimate of the decrease in the Norfolk Broads district of six species in the last forty years, drawn up from fairly reliable sources. The Short-eared Owl is included in the table, but what little evidence there is points to its never having been anything more than a scarce breeder among the Broads. | 1858. 1868. | 1878. | 1888. 1898. Ee) US | Ae | | About About | About | About Ruff 14 nests 5 nests | 2nests| 1 nest | O nests (Machetes pugnazx). | Bearded Tit $7), 100) - 5 SO 455 5 74 ote nes es (Panurus biarmicus). Garganey Teal 7A) ae Pte REZ ae Te re (Querquedula circia). | Montagu’s Harrier Gin.4 5 ean eg a De Ay hs (Circus cineraceus). | Marsh Harrier beer alts Da ce On 33 Oss. (Circus eruginosus). | | | | Short-Eared Owl Ee ee ae: ee (Asto accipitrinus). | With the extinction of the Ruff, Norfolk loses fifteen breeding species, or, if the Greylag Goose, Savi’s Warbler, and Little Bittern are reckoned, eighteen. At the same time it may well be that Savi’s Warbler, a bird which leaves its shelter very reluctantly, flying only ashort distance, and, dipping down again, to be immediately hidden, is still an annual visitant in very small numbers. 12 116 THE ZOOLOGIST. The year has passed almost without a single occurrence of such regular migrants as the Glaucous Gull, Little Auk, Fulmar Petrel, and three species of Buzzard. No Eider Ducks are reported, although Mr. Paynter describes them as having had an unusually prolific breeding season at the Farne Islands. The chief occurrences of 1898 are a Roller, two Little Bustards, four Cranes, and a Ruddy Shelduck. In August there was a large migration of Crossbills, which are not, strictly speaking, autumn migrants. September was far too mild to delay rare birds on passage, which, according to previous experience in open weather, pass over Norfolk; but the common immigrants generally come to us as much in fine weather as in foul, that is, those like the Blackbird, Grey Crow, and Shore Lark, which have no intention of going farther than England. In October there were marked arrivals of Scaup Ducks, Bewick’s Swans, Greater Spotted Woodpeckers, and Goldcrests, the two latter extending far to the northward of Norfolk. Mr. Cordeaux reports ‘‘ there has been no such arrival of Goldcrests at Humber mouth since 1892”; but it is probable that neither then, nor now, was Norfolk so largely visited as Yorkshire. November was uneventful, but in December Blackbirds must have poured in, judging from the numbers seen when covert- shooting. A very considerable influx of Kingfishers and Wood- Pigeons took place, and at the end of the month some Woodcocks arrived, in good condition. It might be expected that immigrants, on reaching our shores, would be more or less exhausted ; but, on the contrary, no one who watches Sky-Larks, Crows, Jackdaws, Hawks, &c., coming in from the sea can fail to be struck by the methodical way in which they fly on, and never alight while the eye can follow them. Woodcocks and Blackbirds also, which have evidently only been in England a few hours, are found when shot to be in plump con- dition, and none the worse for their long voyage. And now a few words on migration. Without doubt it is the wind and weather in Scandinavia which influence the start of the ordinary autumn immigrants, such as those we have referred to— Woodcocks, Blackbirds, Redwings, and Wood-Pigeons ; but in the case of birds which set out from Eastern Russia it is different —e.g. the Greater Spotted Cuckoo, Macqueen’s Bustard, and ORNITHOLOGICAL RECORD FROM NORFOLK. 117 Yellow-browed Warbler. With them it must be the nature of the weather when they arrive in Norfolk, Lincolnshire, and York- shire which determines whether they halt or pass on. A certain number of Russian and Eastern Asiatic birds pro- bably pass over Norfolk and the east coast every autumn, for the most part by night, and at so high an altitude asto be beyond the limits of human sight. As they are not seen their presence is never suspected. Migratory phenomena of this sort only become apparent when brought within our ken by unsettled weather and sometimes fog, as clearly demonstrated by Herr Gitke in his long course of observations on Heligoland. There is no migrant whose movements can be better observed than the Blackbird’s. They come from the east, for the most part in “rushes,” from October to Christmas Day, first dropping into turnip-fields with an incredible number of Thrushes, and then swarming in plantations. It is in December and January that Norfolk obtains the old yellow-billed cock Blackbirds, which indicates either that the adults are the last to migrate from Scandinavia, or that, owing to dull plumage and brown bills, these old cocks are not recognized as such by English observers in October and November. By the Ist of February the northward movement has begun again, almost before the southward movement of individuals nesting in the higher latitudes is over; and, under certain circumstances of wind and weather, it is probable the two streams sometimes amalgamate, or actually cross one another. If any ornithologist possessed of keen sight would go to sea in one of our Yarmouth herring smacks, or obtain the Trinity Board’s permission for a week’s sojourn on such a floating light- ship as “‘ The Outer Dowsing,” or ‘‘ The Leman and Ower,” in the month of October, he could not fail to identify a number of species in transit, especially if the wind was from the west. A wind which the migrants (nearly always to be seen at Cromer arriving from the east) would have to fly against would delay nine- tenths of them until sunrise, or later, when they could be easily identified. Its velocity must be an important factor, and it would probably be found that they choose a high or low stratum, according as they are thereby enabled to minimize its power. By anchoring a boat at a measured distance of half a mile from 118 THE ZOOLOGIST. the light-vessel, valuable notes might be further obtained on the comparative speed in flight of different species of birds as they passed along. Possibly the Green Woodpecker, Nuthatch, and House-Sparrow, which have not yet been proved to be migratory, would also be identified, and much more might be learnt than we know about the effects of wind. The light-ships of Ireland have added no fewer than six new species to the Irish fauna (Barring- ton), which shows what is still to be done. J ANUARY. lst.—F lock of Mealy Redpolls near Cley (H.N. Pashley) ; a true winter migrant, but whose appearance has nothing to do with severity of weather. . 3rd.—A very singular Rook with about half of each wing slate- coloured, including the greater wing-coverts and scapular feathers, which was flying about with other normal Rooks at Eaton, was at first sight rather suggestive of hybridism with a Hooded Crow ; but this cross has never been detected in Norfolk or Suffolk. 8th.— Mr. C. Hamond met with two Black Guillemots in Holham “ bay,” near Wells, at no great distance from the shore. 25th.—A Little Bustard shot at Feltwell (Zool. 1898, p. 125). a migrant probably from the South of France or Spain, as the species is commoner there than in North Africa. FEBRUARY. 8th.—A wounded Shag picked up at Stiffkey (Pashley), and another disabled by a stone, are almost the only records in my note-book for February. 21st.—Bewick’s Swan on Breydon (B. Dye). Marcu. 9th.—Three hundred Wigeon, with a few Pintails and Shovel- lers, on Breydon Broad (S. Chambers). 10th.—A thousand Wigeon now on Breydon (Chambers). 13th.—Shag found dead at Yarmouth (Dye). 15th.—A white Blue Titmouse, or nearly white, very busy at a cocoa-nut hung out for these birds in Mr. Digby’s garden at Fakenham. 28th.—A Shag brought in from sea (A. Patterson). ORNITHOLOGICAL RECORD FROM NORFOLK. 119 APRIL. 2nd.—Jackdaws going seawards (Patterson). 7th.—Mr. Pashley, to whom these annual notes are always indebted, to-day announced the advent of four magnificent Cranes on their spring migration, which halted near the Glaven, and remained all the forenoon of one day (7th) in the same spot, and that within two hundred yards of a gang of men on the marsh side of Wiverton bank. Mr. Pashley had a good view of them as they were flying eastwards, and they were next reported as visiting a piece of water near the sea at Weybourne, where their great size attracted attention. They were again watched for several hours, and subsequently seen at Runton, after which they took their departure. We have not had a visit froma Crane since April, 1888, but the number of occurrences is now brought up to seven- teen, of which only two were in the autumn. 16th.—A Spoonbill on Breydon since the 8th (Patterson), which, like the Cranes, escaped. May. 2nd.—A Short-eared Owl’s nest with five eggs (but said to have originally contained seven) discovered in a field of rushes not far from the sea in the vicinity of one of our Broads. 5th.—Only one Reeve seen on the Broads up to this date (M. Bird). 16th.—Six hundred Bar-tailed Godwits, in round numbers, and Grey Plovers, with a good many Knots, and fifty Whimbrel, on Breydon mud-flats (A. Patterson and Chambers), and a similar show of waders at Cley and Blakenny (H. Pashley) marked a strong May passage, hopeful for the return in autumn. Mr. Patterson believes that the smaller waders are in search of Corophium longicornis, a small crustacean which pushes its way out of the mud; but whatever they eat is difficult of detection after- wards. Simultaneously with the northward movement of waders, two Grebes, supposed to be Red-necked Grebes, were on Wroxham Broad (Capt. Sparrow), and Pied Flycatchers were in evidence at Cley, Holt, Northrepps, Sutton, and Framingham (S. Bligh). 18th.—Lady Lothian has a hybrid Guinea-fowl, the produce of an egg laid at Saxthorpe. It isa very large bird, with some white on the breast, and a good deal of slate-colour about the 120 THE ZOOLOGIST. wings, and appears to be between a Domestic Fowl and a white Guinea-fowl. A similar hybrid living in the Zoological Gardens is decidedly whiter than the Norfolk one, and even uglier, and in both eases the Guinea-fowl’s voice has been noticed. A third, given to the Museum many years ago by my father, and, I believe, not now in existence, was bred between a Game-cock and a Guinea-hen ; but these hybrids must be considered very rare. 24th.—Two Goosanders on Breydon (S. Chambers). 27th.—Two Spoonbills on Breydon (Chambers). 28th.—A Roller picked up at Yelverton (T. Southwell), the twentieth in Norfolk, and a female, as most of the others have been. Otis tetrax, Linn. 30th.—An adult male Little Bustard, in full breeding plumage, shot, in spite of close-time, at Kessingland, in the north of ORNITHOLOGICAL RECORD FROM NORFOLK. 121 Suffolk (T. Southwell), (ante, p. 31), about five miles from our border, and since added to Mr. Connop’s museum. As it has never been obtained in the British Isles in this attire before (though once taken on Heligoland in June), the accompanying re- production of a photograph may be acceptable. It was sent to be preserved to Mr. Bunn, of Lowestoft, who, in skinning it, noticed that the neck was large, a seasonal dilatation which in some form seems to show itself in the male of all the Bustards, and which is shown in the cut. Three Kentish Plovers on Breydon mud- flats (Patterson), and a red or ‘“‘ hepatic” Cuckoo at Hickling (Bird). JUNE. 1st.—Turtle-Dove caught on a smack (Patterson). 4th.—A pair of Avocets halted at Salthouse (their breeding- place up to 1825) for two or three days (Pashley). 9th.—By skill and dint of patience my correspondent, Mr. Bird, at last watched a Short-eared Owl to her nest, situate in a dry marsh of very wide expanse, doubtless similar to the site chosen on May 2nd, where the pointed rush prevails, and is everywhere higher than a man’s knee. A few bents of Carex or Juncus, rather dropped than arranged, constituted the whole nest, which contained only one egg, and on that the female Owl was sitting close as late as 8 p.m.—so close that, being suddenly dis- turbed, she unfortunately forsook the nest. The nest, such as it was, measured 5 x 6 in., and the egg 1°2 x ‘9 in., and by it Mr. Bird picked up two pellets of the bones and fur of a young Water Vole. Another nest subsequently found by Mr. Bird was a forsaken one, containing only a whole egg and a broken one, probably laid by the same pair of Owls. I learn from Mr. Bird that two eggs of the Montagu’s Harrier were found at Horsey, and, when searching with him for Owls’ nests, we came upon a trodden place in the marsh—in fact, the commencement of a nest—which contained what seemed to be the remains of a dropped or soft-shelled Harrier’s egg. The spot was a rough circle within thirty yards of where Mr. Bird found eggs in 1896, and also near to where I was shown a nest in 1883. Itis a great pity that these beautiful marsh Hawks continue to be so per- secuted, but every man’s hand seems to be against them, and I fear the day will come when they and the Owls will be both alike, 122 THE ZOOLOGIST. as local breeders, extinct. Forty years ago the Broad district could not have held jess than a dozen Harriers’ nests, but whether the Hen-Harrier bred there is uncertain. 12th.—Spoonbill at Swimcoots (Nudd), probably one of three which left the Blakenny muds on that day (Pashley). 22nd.—Green Sandpiper seen at Hickling by Mr. Bird. 23rd.—A very dark immature Stock-Dove—almost a variety —caught on Snetterton Heath, probably bred in a rabbit-hole ; and a Wood-Lark seen at the same time. Although, at Keswick, Stock-Doves have the accommodation of tubs for nesting, a pair this summer chose an uninhabited dovecote in a very frequented place. 25th.—Of thirty netted adult cock House-Sparrows, twelve had the chest-feathers, which are ordinarily black, strongly tinted with chestnut-colour, a phase of plumage not accounted for in any work on British birds. Perhaps the Passer rufipectus of Buonaparte. JULY. 9th.—Green Sandpiper at Intwood, a bird whose presence in summer evidently does not imply breeding. 14th.—A Green-backed Porphyrio, seen in Potter Heigham Sounds by Mr. H. E. Harris, was shot a few days afterwards on Barton Broad, and sent to Norwich. Sutton and Barton Broads are very much “grown up’’ now, and their dense reed- beds resemble the lagoons of Egypt, where this noble bird— ‘Dic Sultani” of the natives—used to be so common that thirty could be killed in a day. From Egypt I expect the supplies imported to this country by Cross, Jamrach, and Castang of late years come. Avueust. (Mean temperature, 62°6°.) The first week in August brought bands of Crossbills from over the sea, which were seen simultaneously in four or five sea- side parishes, and immediately afterwards in various places a little farther inland, as from Sandringham (R. Clarke) southwards, and as far inland as Horningtoft. A medlar tree in Canon -Venables’ garden at Burgh was covered with them, from which they turned their attentions to a bullace and apple trees, and even gooseberry bushes and cherry trees were visited (A. Patter- ORNITHOLOGICAL RECORD FROM NORFOLK. 123 son). In one case some were seen on ragwort plants (Gunn), During the first six days of August the wind was west, and it was probably then that they crossed, but on the 7th it was E.N.E. with rain; so it is not very easy to follow their move- ments, but they seem to be commoner in England than they used to be. Their customary tameness and cry of “gip gip”’ on the wing was most likely to attract attention, but the recent extension of our county close-time to Aug. 3lst saved many, though one or two fell a prey to cats and stones, and one was recovered from a muddy creek. They were not so fortunate on the coast of Suffolk, whence Mr. Gunn received several to preserve, and Mr. Lowne, of Yarmouth, had thirty-two, chiefly red males; but the flight soon passed on. The Crossbill is, and always has been, an irregular bird in Norfolk, even from the days of Sir T. Browne. From 1869 to about 1891 very few indeed appeared, but since then there have been a good many strolling bands, for the most part in June, August, and September. It appears that the present “‘wave”’ flowed in other parts of England, the west especially. With regard to the female which bemired itself in a creek, it may have been wounded, as it did not live long. But I remember some years ago hearing of Crossbills which got into a sluice at Swaffham, probably to drink, when the soft mud was like bird-lime to their plumage, and soon led to capture. 18th.—A good adult female Ruddy Shelduck sent up from Yarmouth ? (Connop), and an old male Pintail, but in “ eclipse” as to plumage, caught by Mr. Partridge on Saham mere. This is the third time Mr. Partridge has had a Pintail on his mere as early as August, significant of these birds breeding somewhere on British soil, unless they were migrants, which is not likely. Pinioned Pintails formerly bred on the lake at Stanford. SEPTEMBER. N. wind fourteen days, S. wind seven days, W. wind seven days. Less than a quarter of an inch of rain in the whole month. The 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th were very hot days, with a fine aurora on the 9th. The Pheasants, impelled by drought, scraped the dusty soil off potato-beds, and ate considerable portions of the potatoes ; and, where turnips were in proximity to their coops, in some 124 THE ZOOLOGIST. places nothing was left but the ribs of the leaf by the thirsty game-birds. The turnips themselves suffered so much that there was not the requisite cover for Partridges, and beech trees had the appearance of being withered. Three Bearded Tits, driven from their usual asylum on the Broads, or wanderers from Holland, were seen on a pond near Holt, where I never remember any before; and three Egyptian Geese and some Canada Geese were moving about in the vicinity of Cromer, the latter probably from Gunton lake, where the young are seldom pinioned. On the 31st House-Martins still had young not flown on the steepest part of Runton cliffs, and Mr. Patterson met with Sand- Martins’ nests in a hole in the wall. I cannot say whether the drought had anything to do with the choice of such habitations, or with the fact that a Greater Spotted Woodpecker was hewing holes at Keswick as if it had been May. But much later than this there were Starlings’ nests, with young in them, at Hellesdon and Keswick. 5th.—Shoveller at Hempstead. 16th.—A Norfolk Plover, with some Lapwings, close to the town of Yarmouth, where eight Spotted Redshanks have lately been shot (E. Saunders). 20th.— Two Ospreys at Filby Broad, the precision with which they caught fish being particularly noticed by the Rev. C. B. Lucas. OcTUBER. W. wind ten days, S. wind seven days, E. wind six days, N. wind four days. Migration now set in with some earnest, and Kingfishers and Greater Spotted Woodpeckers were in evidence. One Wood- pecker was among the Wells sand-hills (Col. Feilden), and I met with others alive, and in shops; but perhaps their migration was more marked higher up the east coast. From the observations of Mr. Boyes in ‘The Field,’ and Mr. Evans in the ‘ Scottish Naturalist,’ Norfolk has not had so many Greater Spotted Wood- peckers since 1868, and that also was a great Crossbill year. Lusciniola schwarzi was shot in Lincolnshire on the lst, and three Dajila spinicauda in Suffolk, but the latter must have ORNITHOLOGICAL RECORD FROM NORFOLK. 125 escaped. For the most part rare birds passed on to other countries farther south, but we had most of the regular sorts. 8th.—Seventeen Wild Swans settled on a pond at Felbrigge Park, doubtless all Bewick’s Swans direct from Northern Russia, as one shot by Mr. Cremer was of that species, and Bewick’s Swan has occurred once in October before. The same, or another, flock was soon after seen at Heigham Sounds, and one taken (Bird); another was obtained at Runton (Fitch), another at Salthouse, and another at Yarmouth (Dye). We have had larger flocks than this, but the date is early ; and their tameness on first arrival, and their settling on such a small piece of water about two miles from the shore, points to their having made a long journey. 10th.— Received three live Scaup drakes from Saham decoy- cage, and about the same time there was a sudden abundance of them at the mouths of our rivers and similar places. A Yarmouth game-dealer named Durrant had forty-four hanging up, of which twenty-eight were killed on the 8th (Patterson), and on the same day five at Stalham (Bird). Two were shot at Felbrigge, two at Beeston (Cremer), and one near Keswick (all on ponds), and one at Holkham ; and Mr. Pashley was able to account for fifteen, besides which Mr. Gunn received some from Suffolk, and the taxidermist at Lincoln told me he had seven brought him. I have never been successful in keeping the Scaup on my pond long, but one of the birds above mentioned is still in excellent health, and comes readily to be fed with bread. 16th.—Mr. Patterson picked up an immature Black Redstart under the telegraph-wire. The following notes are from Mr. Patterson :—Golden-crested Wrens trooped in last week. St. George’s Park, Yarmouth, was alive with them on Thursday; Cats were on the alert, and accounted for the demise of five on the 15th. The park-keeper saw many Fieldfares and Redwings passing over, and numbers of the latter alighting among the shrubs, exhausted. A Greater Spotted Woodpecker alighted on a fishing-boat, and Rooks and Grey Crows have been crossing plentifully. A Woodcock flew into a tavern in Albion Road, another flew against a window, one was caught in George Street, and another in Yarmouth Cemetery. 126 THE ZOOLOGIST. 19th.—Little Gull at Breydon (B. Dye), the only one reported this year. 27th.—A chestnut variety of the Partridge shot at Bylaugh, and since presented to the Museum by Mr. D’Arcy; about the same time, I was told of three at Elmham, which apparently were not preserved. ‘This is quite as curious and persistent a variety as the Sabine’s Snipe, and, not constituting a melanism, is even more remarkable, an excess of red colour being more abnormal than an excess of black. NovEMBER. Exceedingly mild weather all this month. 1lst.—A female Scaup, ina very rufous state as regards breast, neck, and head, received from Mr. Patterson, had probably acquired that ferruginous colour from feeding in water where there was oxide of iron. It had been shot when making its last meal, for several Cyclas cornea (identified by Mr. Reeve) were in its gullet. On showing it to Mr. Caton Haigh, he said that he had seen one as rufous (cf. ‘Birds of Norfolk,’ iii. pp. 78, 190). 2nd.—Received a Great Grey Shrike which had pounced on a “call-bird” at Downham; this proved an amusing pet while it lived, and further presented an unusual continuation of the black lores in a line across the forehead. I may here mention that in the Museum there is one killed at Ranworth which is quite as dark on the head and back as Lanwus algeriensis; but this is a genus of varieties. Another Grey Shrike was taken in Yarmouth Gardens (EK. Saunders), but we have not had a real Shrike year since 1880. 4th.—Lapland Bunting at Yarmouth (B. Dye), the only one reported this year. 9th.—A Water-Ouzel with a chest-band of brown chestnut, shot at Hillington by Sir W. Ffolkes; the Scotch type is ex- tremely rare in Norfolk, and, if it came from Scotland, is a proof that some migrants do not cross the sea. 10th.—Greater Shearwater at Lowestoft (T. Southwell). 13th.—A chestnut Partridge shot at Cawston (G. Herd), and on the 24th another near Dereham, making six in Norfolk this season, one last year, and three the year before. ‘This is the erythrism—for it can hardly be called a race—which has been known as Perdix montana since 1760, and it is not unlikely that ORNITHOLOGICAL RECORD FROM NORFOLK. 127 the Norfolk specimens were from eggs laid by Hungarian Part- ridges, many of which have been turned out in Norfolk during the last few years, and may have produced this breed. On the other hand, as many as twelve were shot in Northumberland as far back as 1863-71, and another afterwards ; Hancock does not suggest that they were introduced. It has also been shot in Ireland, and other parts of England and Scotland from time to time; and Mr. Cole tells me that one was killed in Norfolk about twenty- four years ago, which passed through his hands. 14th.—A Coot, which had probably lost its way in the fog, discovered in a horse-pit among houses in Northrepps Street. 16th.—Spotted Crake at Horsey (I. Saunders). DECEMBER. 12th.—After a high wind from the west thousands of Wood- Pigeons were seen by Mr. Patterson passing over the town of Yarmouth, and on the same day Mr. Haigh noted their abund- ance in Lincolnshire. About this time there was a great accession to their ranks at Keswick, Hempstead, and other places, and nearly coincident with the visit of the Wood-Pigeons was the arrival of more Woodcocks. 24th.—The unusual sight of four Reeves’s Pheasants in Norwich Market is an indication of the introduction of these long-tailed ‘‘rocketers” into Norfolk, but at Merton they are being killed off, as they drive about the common ones; and for the same reason I have found it impossible to keep Reeves’s Pheasant in the same aviary with Ambherst’s. Occasionally Reeves’s Pheasant will produce a very handsome cross with our Common Pheasant, if the plumage of the latter predominates, and we have a good specimen in the Museum. I believe as much as £50 was given for one of the first pairs of Reeves’s Pheasants which came to Norfolk, and several hybrids were bred from them at Earlham; but they are not popular, in spite of their long tails. 30th.—Four hundred and sixty-six Coots gathered after the annual Coot battue on Hickling Broad, said to be a record bag for nineteen boats (Bird) ; the art lies in keeping the line un- broken, and leaving the dead to be picked up afterwards. 128 THE ZOOLOGIST. 3lst.—The ‘‘ Pagets’ Pochard,” taken last year, is still in excellent health, and the breast, which became a dull brown in summer, is again as red as the head. It has never been as tame as the Pochards, which will occasionally even take bread from the hand, and does not dive so much as they do, but has the same peak-like raising of the feathers on the crown. Its back is far darker than a Pochard’s now, and its beak not so white a lavender. Of its hybrid origin there can be no doubt. This cross has received the name of Fuligula ferinoides, Bartl., and F’. homeyeri, Baed., and Suchetet thinks it may also be Anas intermedia, Jaubert (cf. Leverk. J. f. O. 1890, p. 223). That it is really between F’. nyroca and F’. ferina there cannot be the slightest doubt. ( 129 ) ON THE FIRST PRIMARY IN PASSERINE BIRDS. By Ernst Hartert. In ‘ The Zoologist,’ 1898 (p. 241), appeared a very interesting article by Messrs. A. Gardiner Butler and A. George Butler on the presence of the first primary in the F'ringillide, Motacillide, and Hirundinide, in which it has generally been supposed to be absent. Most interesting as this fact is to those who did not know it, and valuable as some of the special observations made by Messrs. Butler are, the discovery that the first primary is present in these families is not new. In 1888 (Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond. p. 664), Dr. Gadow says of those families in which the first primary has been supposed to be absent, “‘ The tenth quill* is, as a rule, reduced to a tiny feather, which is hidden between the 10th covert and outer vane of the 9th quill.” From this article we see also that an eleventh primary is frequently present in front of the tenth (our “ first”) primary, but that this eleventh quill is completely lost in many families of Passerine birds. Dr. Gadow’s valuable article has been, it seems, most fre- quently overlooked by ornithologists, and I myself did not read it before I had discovered the same facts about the first primary. In Novit. Zool. ii. p. 13 (1896), I said :—‘‘ I was rather surprised to find that in the so-called nine-quilled (or rather nine-pri- maried !) Passeres the tenth primary is not always, nay, not even as a rule, and very likely never, entirely absent, but only much reduced, and often difficult to find, because stiff and narrow and hidden by its longer covert. From these reduced little feathers to those of Pholidauges, Sturnus, or Calornis is no longer step than from the latter to Acridotheres, Basilornis, and Gracula.”’... On p. 14 I then acknowledged Dr. Gadow’s article at length. The failure to find our ‘‘tenth”’ primary in certain families * Dr. Gadow calls it 10th, as he begins to count them in the middle of the wing, where they meet the secondary quills.—E. H. Zool. 4th ser. vol. III., March, 1899. K 130 THE ZOOLOGIST. is no doubt due to the impossibility of seeing it from below, and to a certain extent to an omission which is very frequently made in natural history, namely, that only a few forms of a supposed group are examined, and that conclusions about the whole group are made from such scanty observations; from the nature of the point in question, which served to characterize the groups, a certain species is afterwards classified, and thus an everlasting circulus vitiosus is entered. The removal of the under wing-coverts cannot have caused the mistake, as the first primary in most cases where it has been supposed to be absent is lying somewhat above the first func- tionary long primary, hidden by and somewhat assimilated to the primary coverts. (2 Tem.) NOTES AND QUERIES. MAMMALIA. CHIROPTERA. Some Habits of Bats.—I have been very much interested in Mr. Oldham’s account of the habits in captivity of the Whiskered Bat (Myotis mystacinus). I have kept nearly all the British species at various times, and in most things my experiences tally with those of Mr. Oldham. There is one point, however, in which they are at variance. He says (ante, p. 52):— “ Neither foot nor carpus was ever used in any way to assist it in capturing or holding an insect. The use of either would of conrse be quite im- possible during flight.” I thought that it was fairly well known that Bats do most certainly use the “thumb” to assist them in rending asunder their prey, and I have frequently observed it in the case of the Noctule (Pipistrellus noctula) and the Serotine (Vespertilio serotinus). In the case of the latter, which was numerous on the borders of a large forest in North Germany, and which used to come abroad long before twilight, I was often puzzled at first to account for a sudden drop in their flight of several feet, and I put it down to the fact that they saw some insect below them, and dropped on to it; but, on shooting several with a saloon pistol, I actually found the claw of the thumb on one side imbedded in the tough elytra of a cockchafer (Melolontha), and dung-beetles (Geotrupes), which were held in the Bat’s mouth. OxLry GraBuHam (Heworth, York). CARNIVORA, White Stoat.—I had a white Stoat (Mustela erminea) brought in on Feb. 2nd. It is a very good white all over, with the exception of a small brown patch on the top of the head, and of course the tip of the tail. Con- sidering the extreme mildness of the winter, the fact is perhaps worth recording.—W. J. CuaRrKeE (44, Huntriss Row, Scarborough). Grey Seal (Halicherus gryphus) at the Isle of Man.—In June, 1881, in a small unfrequented cove between Port Kirin and Bradda Head, I came upon the almost entire skeleton of a very large Seal. I secured the skull, all the important teeth of which were missing, and have carefully preserved it ever since. I have not been able to identify it till a few days ago (February), when Mr. R. Lydekker was kind enough to compare it with K 2 132 THE ZOOLOGIST. specimens at the South Kensington Museum. It turns out to be, as I had suspected, that of the Great Grey Seal. Mr. Lydekker writes :—‘* The specimen you have sent is Halicherus gryphus, and agrees exactly with one of our examples.” Mr. P. M. C. Kermode, of Ramsey, informs me that it has not been hitherto recorded for the Isle of Man.—Lionut EK. Apams (68, Wolverhampton Road, Stafford). RODENTIA. Albino Squirrel in Wiltshire.—On Nov. 28th I happened to enter the shop of a north-country taxidermist to enquire whether he had had anything interesting in lately, when he produced the most beautiful Squirrel (Sciwrus vulgaris) I have ever seen. It was pure white, without a dark hair any- where, very long ear-tufts, and pink eyes. I should have very much liked to have secured it, but he told me that the owner would not part with it ; and, on enquiring for data, all I could obtain was that it had been shot in Wiltshire, and the reason he gave for not telling me more, was that it had been shot by a keeper without his master’s knowledge, and the man was afraid of getting into trouble—OxLry GraBuHam (Heworth, York). AVES. Winter Occurrence of Wheatear.—Having had occasion to visit the Nover’s Hill Fever Hospital for the last four Wednesdays, beginning from the 1st of February, I have at each visit had the pleasure of observing a Wheatear (Sazicola enanthe) haunting the newly laid-out grounds of that institution. I should imagine it to be a hen bird, as the mantle is still of avery sombre hue. On each occasion its movements have been such as denote complete satisfaction with its surroundings, and a very high distaste for man’s proximity. The first time I saw it I made enquiries among the men at work on the grounds as to whether they had noticed the bird at all, but with no result. One man was interested, however, and, on being shown the bird alluded to, expressed his opinion that it was what he called “a Redsturt.”—Davip T. Pricr (2, Upper Byron Place, Clifton, Bristol). Karly Appearance of Chiffchaff in Warwickshire and late Stay of Whitethroat.—The district around the great city of Birmingham is not one which the average ornithologist would look to for unusual migratory move- ments on the part of birds, but when the fullness of time arrives, I shall, I think, have a tale to unfold which will surprise not a few. Two instances it may be of interest to the readers of ‘ The Zoologist’ to relate now. The season of 1897 was marked in this district for the early disappearance of summer migrants, and long after the last straggler had left I was astonished, during one of my long rambles on the 14th November, to meet with a solitary NOTES AND QUERIES. 135 specimen of the Whitethroat (Sylvia cinerea). The day was warm and beautiful, and the bird busily engaged catching insects in a hedgerow near the water. Nov. 14th is, I think, the latest date on record for the appear- ance of the Whitethroat in Great Britain. The second instance is that of the Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus rufus), which has broken all previous records by appearing at Castle Bromwich this year on the 16th February. Mr. Ernest C. Tye was shooting Lapwings on that date, when he thought he heard the well-known note of the Chiffchaff, but uttered in a low key, and caught sight of a little bird skulking about a bush. Scarcely believing that it could be the Chiffchaff he heard, at such an extraordinarily early period of the year, he brought it down, but with a full charge of No. 6 shot (the smallest shot he had with him), from a 12-bore, with the result that the little bird was terribly mangled. Mr. Tye brought to me this little mass of blood ard feathers as proof of his correct identification, and, although it looked like a hopeless case, I determined to save the skin of this record- breaker, and, by dint of much patience, I have made a good specimen of it. I consider the middle of March a very early date for the appearance of this bird in my district; but I have one previous record for the extreme end of February, when I saw a little bird skulking about the lower part of a hedgerow, but in such a manner that I could not get a sufficiently clear view to be absolutely positive whether the bird was Chiffchaff or Willow Warbler; and, as it remained silent, ] had to trust to eyes instead of the more satisfactory ears. However, there need be little doubt that it was a Chiffchaff. That February was followed by a beautiful spring, and a hot, dry summer. All the spring migrants came early, and there was a good breeding season. I did not intend to go past these two instances, but I am tempted to add that on the 12th February last I saw Stonechats (Pratin- cola rubecula) at Karlswood. These birds cross this portion of the midlands towards their breeding haunts; and this again is the earliest date by far on which I have seen them here. This, in conjunction with the appearance of the Chiffchaff a few days later, led me to think that an extraordinarily early migratory movement was afloat; and on the 19th February I had a long ramble—I was walking for eight hours—hoping to get a glimpse of other migrants; but in this I was disappointed. However, I was rewarded with the grandest and most varied chorus of bird-song I can recall to memory for such an early period of the year. The following birds were in full and rich song:—Mistle- and Song-Thrushes, Blackbirds, Hedge- Accentors, Wrens, Starlings, Chaffinches, Reed Buntings, Yellowhammers, and Sky-Larks. Great, Blue, Coal, and Marsh Tits were all giving their low calls; while the Long-tailed Tits were paired. A flock of Lesser Black-backed Gulls passed overhead ; Woodpeckers were preparing their nesting-holes ; Kingfishers darted across my path, and sped before me in 184 THE ZOOLOGIST. plentiful numbers. The sun was so genially warm that lolling on the grassy banks was a pleasure. Add to this the fact of Stonechats hurrying across to their breeding haunts, and the Chiffchaff with us, and we get a picture for the middle of February, 1899, to which I can find no parallel. It reads more like the middle of April. I do not think that the few frosty nights we have lately had will cause much inconvenience to other Chiff- chaffs which may have arrived, as I have seen these birds singing vigorously in backward spring seasons; also in late autumn, when every twig has been thickly covered with hoar frost.—F. Copurn (7, Holloway Head, Birmingham). I have recently examined the Chiffchaff (supra) which was killed at Castle Bromwich by a friend of mine ou Feb. 16th last. It was singing, but in very subdued notes. Possibly, owing to mildness of the present winter, it may have wintered with us, or at least in this country ; if not, then it is a remarkably early occurrence, seldom being heard in Warwick- shire before the third week in March. — J. Sree.e-Exuiorr (Clent, Worcestershire). Pied Flycatcher in North Wales.—In Capt. Swainson’s sketch of the distribution of this species (Muscicapa atricapilla) in Wales (Zool. 1898, pp. 420-424) no mention is made of Carnarvonshire, and only two instances of the bird nesting in Denbighshire are cited. To the woods—chiefly composed of oak, ash, and fir—in the Conway and Llugwy valleys, on the border of the two counties, at Bettws-y-Coed, the Pied Flycatcher is an abundant summer visitor. During a short stay in that neighbourhood in the middle of May, 1898, I used to see the birds daily, and so plentiful were they that on more than one occasion I encountered half a dozen pairs in the course of a morning ramble. On the llth of the month I watched two birds carrying nesting material to a hole about eighteen feet from the ground in the bole of a tall oak in a small wood within a stone’s throw of the village street, and saw two more pairs in the same wood. ‘The deliberate but pleasing song of the male, reminding one of a Redstart’s, is generally uttered when the bird is stationary, but sometimes during flight from tree to tree. When at rest both sexes constantly move their tails vertically, a habit common to the Whinchat and other birds. In its mode of feeding this species differs in several respects from the Spotted Fly- | eatcher. Although I watched them for hours at a time, I never saw a Pied Flycatcher return to the same twig after darting out to catch an insect on the wing. The bird usually alights on a different branch, and often in another tree. Sometimes it clings Tit-like to a tree-trunk for an instant, and often feeds upon the ground. The chaste and beautiful colours of the plumage are never seen to greater advantage than when the bird hovers, NOTES AND QUERIES. 135 exactly as the Wood-Wren does, in order to pick off an insect from beneath a broad sycamore leaf.—Cuas. OLpHam (Alderley Edge). Regularity of the Greenfinch in beginning his Song.— The following table of dates may be interesting as showing not only how regular this bird (Ligurinus chloris) is in opening his song, but how little he is affected in this respect by the weather. Chaffinches, Yellowhammers, and Blackbirds are also fairly regular, but vary, according to my experience, more than this strong and hardy species. ‘The song here alluded to is the familiar long- drawn snore, which is usually accompanied from the first beginning by the equally familiar twitter :— 1893, Feb. 18th.—F ine and warm. 1894, Feb. 20th.—Very cold; thermometer 22° at 8 a.m. 1895, Feb. 17th.—Bitterly cold, with hard frost. 1896, Feb. 21st.—Warm and damp. 1897, Feb. 19th.—Fine and mild. 1898, Feb. 24th.—Mild, after a few cold days. 1899, Feb. 25th.—Fine, with cold wind and early frost. All these observations have been made in Oxford, either in Christ Church Meadow, the Parks, or the Botanic Garden, and before 10 a.m. I may add that, in my opinion, based on many years of observation during January and February, our resident species are not affected in any degree by the tem- perature, either in regard to pairing or singing.—W. WarpbE FowLer (Lincoln College, Oxford). Observations on the Habits of a Cuckoo during the Breeding Season. —The case came to my notice last summer, by hearing that a Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) had deposited her egg for a second time in a greenhouse at Gosden House; and, calling on Lady Sitwell, she very kindly took me to see the nest, in which the young Cuckoo was then sitting with open mouth, and evidently well cared for. The Wagtail’s nest was in a flower- pot, not quite full of earth, which stood on a shelf about seven feet from the ground; but a short ladder stood by, on which it was easy to stand and look well on to the nest. I saw the gardener, and heard his long story, and I advised him to put it all in writing as soon as possible. He sent me eventually the following account, showing that he is much more observant than most of his class, who have peculiar opportunities for observing the habits of birds, and he deserves, I think, great credit for the record he has kept, which I trust will be supplemented by another visit this year of the same birds. H. H. Gopwrn-AusTEN (Nore, Godalming). “‘T found that the Water Wagtail had started making its nest again last year, in the early part of April. I did not disturb the nest in any way, and I found the old bird had laid four eggs, when she began to sit. One day, when she was off the nest, I looked in, and found that a Cuckoo had laid _ 186 - THE ZOOLOGIST. an egg. I watched the nest then every day to see when the young Cuckoo was hatched. On’'May 18th I found the young Wagtails were hatching (there were two young ones and one coming out of its shell). Next day (the 19th) I saw the old Cuckoo around the greenhouse several times in the morning, as if she wanted to get in. I left the door open while I went to my dinner, and when I came back I disturbed the old bird, and I found the three young Wagtails and one egg lying on the shelf; one of the young ones was still alive, and a young Cuckoo in the nest not quite out of its shell. Some people have an idea that it is the young Cuckoo that turns the young birds out of the nest, but it is the old Cuckoo that comes and turns the young ones out; for the young Cuckoo was not quite out of its shell when the Wagtails were lying on the shelf. This is the third year the Wagtail has had its nest in the greenhouse. Last year she brought up two lots of young ones, and two years ago the same as this year. One day there were four young Wagtails in the nest, and the next day they all lay dead on the stage, but a young Cuckoo in the nest; though I did not know it was a Cuckoo's egg, as I thought the old Cuckoo was too shy a bird to enter the greenhouse to lay. When I found the egg this year I kept a good watch to see if I could detect the old Cuckoo feed tlie young one. It was a common occurrence two years ago to see the old Cuckoo going in and out of the greenhouse by myself and others, including two painters that were at work on the vinery. Close by we saw her with food in her mouth, and I have, with others, kept a good look-out this year to see if we could observe her feed the young one. We saw her many times very close to the door and lights; but I only saw her twice this year, viz. on May 22nd, when she came out of the top light at 8.30 a.m., and on June lst, when I saw her come out of the door at 7 a.m. The old Wagtails still kept feeding the young Cuckoo until it was able to fly. — Grorax WILLIAMS (gardener to Lady Sitwell, Gosden House, Bramley, Surrey).” Notes from Reading (1898).—On April 4th I saw, in the flesh, a male Tufted Duck (Fuligula cristata), shot on the Thames at Sonning. Crossbills have been very abundant this year at Aldermaston, about eight or nine miles from here; I had avery young one brought to me on May 25th, probably one of a local brood. . On April 80th a very fine adult Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larus fuscus) was shot at the Clappers, Caversham Lock. On July 27th I saw a family party of Weasels cross a road near Cane End, in South Oxfordshire. Otters seem to be fairly abundant in the river Kennett; I saw a young one alive, caught about Jan. 11th last, which is now at the Zoological Gardens. I have also seen a young and an old one in the flesh lately. On December 16th I saw a young male Garganey (Querquedula circia), shot the day before at Theale, a few miles from Reading ; weight, 11 oz.; the blue speculum was a lovely bright colour. I presume it was NOTES AND QUERIES. 137 one of last year’s birds from Norfolk. — Gzorex W. Brapsuaw (54, London Street, Reading). | Fecundity in Birds. — Respecting Mr. Basil Davies’s very inter- esting article on the Fecundity in Birds (‘ The Zoologist,’ 1898, p. 495) I should like, if I may, to make a few remarks, and to ask some ‘questions, hoping that Mr. Davies will not resent the liberty I am taking in doing so. In Section I. (dealing with Finches, Buntings, and the larger Warblers) he writes :—‘ It is not, I think, difficult to see why ‘they respectively lay their five and ten* eggs a season. These birds, resident and migratory alike, feed their young on‘various forms of insect- life. . . . The two parents would be unequal to catering for the wants of a larger brood than five. Neither could a hen of this size well produce more than five eggs.” Now, the fact that insectivorous birds can rear a con- siderably larger brood than five is clearly demonstrated by the Tits, Wrens, and small Warblers (Chiffchaff, &c.), as is also the fact that a bird of half the size of a Bunting can and does produce more than five eggs. Lower down, in Section II., he writes :—‘‘ Another point is that eight young Tits would hardly require more food that five greedy little Robins, and so the labours of the parents in the two species would not differ appreciably.” And again, in discussing the smaller Warblers :—‘‘ Here again it is no more difficult to feed eight small Warblers than five large ones.” Now, it seems to me that, though ten young Golden-crested Wrens (for instance) might not require altogether a greater quantity of food than five young Robins, yet, as the minuteness of the food would be in proportion to the smallness of the bird, each young Gold-crest would require to be fed the same number of times a day with gnats as a young Robin would with cater- pillars (or even more); therefore the ten of them would give their parents twice as much work to do as would the five young Robins. In the introduction to Col. Montagu’s ‘ Dictionary of British Birds’ an account is given of a female Gold-crest feeding its eight young ones, which were placed in a cage upon the window-sill. The bird brought food every one and a half to two minutes during sixteen hours of the day. A friend once timed a Robin to and from its young, and found that there was an interval of about ten minutes between the visits. So that, as far as catering powers are con- cerned, it would seem that a Robin might easily rear more that five young ones. Mr. Davies suggests that our migratory Warblers do not produce a second brood, owing to the near approach of the migration period.. This argument is broken down by the Swallow kind, all of which produce a ‘second brood. In Section VI., on Doves and Pigeons, Mr. Davies says: .— I have only the old hackneyed explanation for the unvarying pair of * The ten here refers to two separate broods of five.—B. R. | 138 THE ZOOLOGIST. eggs laid by these birds, ¢. e. that they are conspicuous among birds for their tender affection for their mates, and that the eggs always hatch out male and female in the same nest.” Why should this affection to their mates, or the fact that the two eggs usually hatch out male and female, cause them to lay only two eggs? As a matter of fact, I have frequently known the two eggs of Domestic Pigeons hatch out two males. In discussing Plovers, Mr. Davies makes the statement that in species in which the young are hatched fully formed and able to run, the egg is abnormally large for the size of the bird. Is thisso? Roughly speaking, the Pigeon and Partridge are about the same size. The young Pigeon comes into the world blind and perfectly helpless, while the young Partridge is hatched well-formed and able to run; yet the Pigeon’s egg is if anything rather larger than that of the Partridge. Again, the young of the Guillemot, which lays as big an egg in proportion to itself as almost any other bird, are hatched in a help- less condition. In Section VIII. I find :— Owing to the cover afforded by the stems, the young (of Crakes and Rails) need not be so large when hatched as the young of the Plover, consequently the eggs are much smaller, and the hen can incubate a greater number.” Why need they not be so large? I should think it would be of more advantage to a young Plover, hatched out in the open, to be small, than it would be to a young Water-Rail, which among the reeds and rushes would not be so easily seen. And then, is a newly-hatched Rail much smaller in proportion to the adult than a young Plover? Lastly, in Section IX., Mr. Davies writes of game- birds :—‘‘ I should not be surprised to learn that they were originally less prolific before they were persecuted under the name of sport.” It is well known that game-birds are not only not “ persecuted ” during the breeding season, but that they are perhaps better preserved than any other bird. Are not the large clutches produced by Pheasants and Partridges rather due to the almost semi-domesticated life they lead, and to the artificial feeding, where they are very strictly preserved. This would account for the least-preserved species, 7. ¢. the Ptarmigan, laying the smallest clutch. But this is only a suggestion. As an example of a local variation in fecundity, I may quote the Yellowhammer, which hardly ever lays more than three eggs in Fifeshire. I hear that clutches of three are not uncommon in Gloucestershire also. Seebohm gives four to five as the usual clutch of this bird.— Brernarp Riviere (St. Andrews, N.B.). Some interesting Variations in the Plumage of certain Birds.— Chaffinch (F'ringilla celebs).— Plumage white, with the exception of rather more than half the tail-feathers, upper tail-coverts, one primary and one or two secondaries in one wing; also a few feathers scattered over the head, neck, and wing-coverts, which are normal. Besides this there is a faint tint of canary-yellow on the back and secondaries, and the rump is de- NOTES AND QUERIES. 139 cidedly yellow; bill and legs pinkish horn-colour, and iris dark. The bird (a female) was shot at Poole by Mr. Alan Bengough. Could this be a hybrid between Chaffinch and Canary ; and would any of your readers who have seen hybrids between these two species kindly state whether the plumage was anything like this ?—Bullfinch (Pyrrhula europea). Plumage pale grey, top of head and the tail dark grey, ramp white, iris dark. The bird (a female) was shot at Stoke Gifford by Mr. J. V. Hewitt.— Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus). Male; plumage a warm grey, pencilled with a darker shade of grey, very dark on the head and neck ; collar white, iris dark grey. The plumage was not at all abraded or worn, but had all the beautiful gloss characteristic of the Pheasant’s plumage. It was shot in North Devon.— H. J. CHARBoNNIER (Redland, Bristol). Notes from Point Cloates, North-west Australia, December, 1898. —dAs the weather and seasons greatly influence the scarcity or abundance of most birds, I give, first, a brief account of this year’s weather. January, until the 20th, was one violent gale of cool south winds. The next four days were extremely hot and close, and on the 25th one of our north-west hurricanes, or “ willy willy,” brewed up, and spent its greatest violence immediately over here, accompanied by floods of rain. It subsided on the 26th, and was followed, in February, by heavy thunderstorms and rain, so that there was abundance of vegetation and insect-life throughout this locality. Quiet weather succeeded until September, when the usual heavy south winds set in. With the exception of a few light showers there was no rain in the winter. On Jan. 25th, as the wind and rain of the hurricane were commencing, I saw a flock of strange birds hovering over the house. I shot two, and they proved to be Frigate Birds (regata minor), the first I have seen here. The natives knew them, and said they were the sure sign of violent weather. ‘There were a number of these birds for a few days after the storm. There were countless numbers of Swifts, Pigeons, and other birds flying at a great elevation the day the “ blow” commenced. Feb. 21st I shot a Sacred Kingfisher (Todirhamphus sanctus) at the house, which, by the way, is situated among sand-hills about a quarter of a mile from the sea, the nearest fresh-water pool being thirty miles distant. Every year I notice one or two of these birds about that date. The same day a native picked up and brought me a Little Eagle (Hieraétus morphnoides) in an emaciated state. It had one small yellow land-crab in its gizzard. The previous night had been one prolonged thunderstorm. I have not seen this bird before March 3rd. I had to pay a visit to an out-station of mine about sixty miles south-east. The intermediate country, where I had never seen water lying, was in many places flooded and boggy. At one spot was a large swamp with numbers of Wild Duck (Anas superciliosa), 140 THE ZOOLOGIST. and Terns (Hydrochelidon leucoptera 2). Many of the Ducks had young, and I found nests in hollow white gum trees. When returning, I shot a Nankeen Night Heron (Nycticorax caledonicus) in a patch of trees some miles from water ; the head-plumes were black for three inches from the tip. Gould describes them as white. Next day I found a nest of the Tri. coloured Ephthianura (£. tricolor), containing three eggs, and an egg of some sort of Cuckoo, not identified. March 24th, flocks of Swifts (Cypselus pacificus) were travelling south. Pied Honey-Katers ( Lichnotentha picata) and White-fronted Glycyphila albifrons were in abundance; also the Tri- coloured Ephthianura, and a few Yellow-fronted EH. aurifrons. Swift- flying Turnix (7’. velox) were everywhere in the luxuriant grass, and | saw several young in down on the 29th. From March 31st to April 2nd countless numbers of Swifts were flying south; and I may mention Cossack and Roebourne, farther in the north-west, were partially destroyed by another hurricane on April 2nd. Turkeys (Choriotis australis) were abun- dant, and often varied our bush meals. April 5th, I visited the nearest pool which is permanent, and situated in a deep rugged gorge in the ranges thirty miles north of this.locality. Here I shot a Painted Finch (Lmblema picta), the first I have seen, and so far this is, I believe, the farthest south and west record. I was climbing up the precipitous cliffs out of the gorge, when it alighted on a ledge below me, and I was obliged to shoot there and then to secure the bird, and unfortunately smashed it; but there was no mistaking the species; its crop was full of small seeds. Gould says he thought its food might differ from other Finches, as its beak is of a different shape. Immediately after I shot a Yellow-bellied Shrike-Thrush (Collyrto- cincla rufiventris) and White-bellied Owlet Nightjar (AZgotheles leucugaster), but was unsuccessful in securing another fine Nightjar, though I flushed it several times. April 14th, I shot a male and female Emu-Wren close to a patch of mangroves; they were in company with immature Superb Warblers, and are the only ones I have seen. My correspondent, Mr. A. G. Campbell, of Melbourne, to whom I am much indebted for naming numerous birds, thinks it may be a different species to Stipiturus mala- churus, as this is such a usually dry country ; and I have forwarded him the skins, but not yet heard his decision. April 25th, shot two Sander- lings (Calidris arenaria). May 19th, shot a Black-eared Cuckoo (Miso- calius osculans) on a rocky range here, the only specimen I have seen. May 27th, secured one out of two Barred-tailed Godwits (Limosa melanur- oides) on the beach. May 29th, shot three Narrow-billed Bronze Cuckoos (Lamprococcyx basalis), and saw a considerable number of these birds evidently migrating. Flocks of Yellow Zosterops (Zosterops luteus) and immature Campephaga leucomela were often seen. ‘The former were to be found until September, and I have no doubt were breeding, but I was not NOTES AND QUERIES. 141 fortunate enough to find their eggs, nor could I spare the time to hunt for them. The Campephage disappeared in July ; they were exceedingly shy. The White-winged Superb Warbler (Malurus leucopterus) was abundant this year, and I secured specimens of the Graceful Superb Warbler (M. elegans), but they were rare. On June 10th a curious and, to a flock-owner, startling circumstance occurred. One of the natives brought me a live Rabbit, to know what the strange animal could be. MJabbits are now over the western bush border in numbers in the far south-east; but that is some nine hundred miles distant, and it is strange if they have crossed the continent from east to west with- out being observed east of here. I went to where the Rabbit was caught, and some distance away found a shallow burrow with numerous recent tracks and beaten roads, with heaps of dung radiating from it. We dug it out, but it was empty, and since then have seen no further sign of this pest. There have been numerous wrecks on the dangerous reefs here both before and after the country was opened out, but the last. wreck was fifteen years since, and if Rabbits have been here since then it is extra- ordinary if the numerous natives never noticed them. Altogether it is a very puzzling affair, but it seems most probable the single specimen secured, which caused much alarm and correspondence, came from some vessel. Practically no visitors call here, so it could not have been turned down by a passing traveller on the road. Towards the end of June I went to look at some wonderful trees of which the natives informed me in a patch of unexplored country. We found them in a small basin of good soil sur- rounded by bad ranges. They were few in number, but remarkably inter- esting, being a species of palm tree about forty feet high. I am informed they are the cabbage-tree palm, which only grows in one other part of this colony, so far as is known. I shot on this trip a Delicate Owl (Strix delicatulus), and a Boobook Owl (Sptloglaux boobook). The former seemed to have fed mostly on beetles. [I noted and shot a Collared Parrakeet (Platycercus semitorquatus); Rust-coloured Bronze wing Pigeons (Lophophaps Jerruginea) in some numbers. Also secured a beautiful clutch of three ‘Osprey’s eggs. The Black Honey-Hater (Myzomela nigra) and Red- capped Robin (Petroeca goodenovit) were not uncommon. Gould thought the latter was only found in the interior. I have several times shot it close to the beach. Delicate and Boobook Owls were often seen in June and July. July 15th, I secured specimens of Red-backed Kingfishers (Todi- rhamphus pyrrhopygius) aud Pallid Cuckoo (Cacomantis pallidus), and two Jardine’s Harriers (Circus jardinit). I had long tried to identify a fine slate-coloured Hawk that is fairly plentiful here in good (z.e. wet) seasons, but extremely shy. This year I have proved beyond doubt it is that _ 142 THE ZOOLOGIST. beautiful bird (Jardine’s Harrier), having shot several specimens, and secured nests with eggs and young. As early as April I noticed a pair of these birds building a nest in a small tree about eight feet from the ground. This nest I visited regularly, always seeing the birds, which made slow progress with their work until the end of August, when they forsook it, although the nest was just completed. Aug. 17th, I found a nest of this bird about seven feet from the ground, in a similar tree. It contained three fresh eggs, laid on a lining of green leaves. Aug. 27th, I took one egg from another nest, considerably incubated, and next day took two young, half-grown, from a nest about twenty feet from the ground, in a white gum tree. They would have made most interesting skins, but as my native boy and I were desperately hungry and hunting for food, we lunched off the unfortunates. I always found the crops of those I shot contained Lizards only. My friend Mr. Keartland, who was naturalist for the late unfortunate Wells Expedition, says he found this bird nesting in desert gums in the far interior. Close to the last mentioned nest was a pool of some size, on which were numbers of Coots (fulica australis), Teal (Anas punctata), and small Grebes. I shot three Rollers (Hurystomus pacificus). This pretty bird is very abundant on the Gascoyne River. Asiatic Dotterel (Cirre- pidesmus asiaticus) appeared in flocks about the middle of September, which is earlier than usual, and are still here on the open plains, and occasionally on the beach. Sanderlings (Calidris arenaria) were quite common on the beach since October; I shot five on the 13th. I saw Grey Plover (Squatarola helvetica) on the beach in November, but almost always singly. Ishot a Golden Plover (Charadrius orientalis) last month. On Nov. 23rd I saw a White-bellied Sea-Kagle (Polioaétus leucogaster) busy with something on the beach. On my approach it flew heavily away, with a long object trailing from its talons to the ground. This it eventually dropped, and I found it to be some species of sea-snake new to me, about 5 ft. 6 in. in length and 3 in. in diameter, still alive. I am sorry to say this noble bird will kill lambs and weakly ewes ; I have caught it in the act. The same day, after some careful stalking, I shot a wader new to me, It appears to me to resemble a Purple Sandpiper, but it is many years since I last saw this bird in Iceland, when the Rev. H. H. Slater secured a specimen, and we took a nest of eggs on snow-covered mountains. Gould’s handbook does not mention this bird, so I am in doubt. One day last winter I picked up, side by side, a dead White-breasted Sea-Hagle (Haliastur leucosternus) and Western Brown Hawk ( Hieracidea occidentalis) ; they appeared to me to have fought a bitter fight, terminating fatally to both.— THomas Carrer (Point Cloates, N,W. Australia). NOTES AND QUERIES. 143 MOLLUSCA., Helix cartusiana in Suffolk.—In September, 1898, I found a single shell of this species at Little Glemham, Suffolk, in a small pit where there are veins of chalk in the soil. It was a “‘ dead shell,” but in excellent con- dition, and so fresh looking that it must have been living very recently. -To make certain of the species, I submitted it to Mr. G. B. Sowerby, who pronounced it to be a typical specimen of Helix cartusiana. The place where it was picked up is some six or seven miles from the coast, and the character of the surrounding country very unlike the usual habitat of this species, it being rather enclosed and fairly wooded. H. cartusiana is not included in the Rev. Carleton Greene’s list of the Land and Fresh-water Shells of Suffolk, and has not, so far as I am aware, been hitherto observed in any part of the county. In the adjoining parish of Marlesford a small obscurely marked variety of H. ertcetorum occurs in some numbers. The ground colour is rather darker than in the type, and the banding either entirely absent or only faintly indicated. I have a single shell from Wood- bridge of a similar variety, but much thinner, more fragile, and semi- transparent. Throughout a great part of Hast Suffolk this species rarely, if ever, occurs; Witnesham, near Ipswich, however, is given as a locality in Mr. Greene’s list, on the authority of the Rev. J. W. Horsley.— G. T. Rope (Blaxhall, Suffolk). BIBLIOGRAPHY. The Vertebrates of Berkshire.—Are there any lists extant of the vertebrate fauna of the royal county? If so, I should be greatly obliged to any reader or contributor of ‘The Zoologist’ who would kindly inform me in what publication or publications such lists are to be found. I noticed in the ‘ Field’ a week or two since that in the class Aves upwards of two hundred and fifty species have occurred, including, of course, the rarer visitants.—W. H. Warner (F'yfield, near Abingdon). 144 THE ZOOLOGIST. EDITORIAL GLEANINGS. Mr. W. F. R. Wxexpon, Professor of Zoology at University College, London, has been elected Linacre Professor of Comparative Anatomy at Oxford, in succession to Professor Ray Lankester, resigned, but now directing the Natural History Department of our British Museum. ‘Tae Manchester Microscopical Society does not limit itself too severely to microscopic work. Its ‘ Transactions,’ of which the last Annual Report for 1897 (issued July, 1898) is now before us, contains a number of most interesting natural history communications. Mr. W. F. Keeble gives his ‘Impressions of Tropical Life” during a stay in Ceylon, from which we extract the following quite original observation :—‘ One of the strangest sights I ever witnessed was an ant-army marching beneath shields of butterfly wings. The heavy tropical rain which prunes so vigorously the trees, and breaks down branches, leaves, and flowers, had no doubt surprised a flight of butterflies and destroyed them; the ants had found them, disarticulated each wing, and were bearing off the gaudy treasure, though for what purpose I do not venture to suggest.” WE extract the following note from ‘The Halifax Naturalist’ and Record of the Scientific Society, vol. iii. 1898-99 :— Natural History Norges rrRoM CHURCHWARDENS’ Accounts. — The following extracts, quoted in the Rev. Mark Pearson’s ‘ Northowram ’ from ‘ Ye Olde Towne’s Books,’ show that Foxes and Polecats formerly existed in the parish, though they are now, and have probably for a long time been, exterminated— « May 11th, 1677.—The account of Joshua Crowther, Church-warder for ye yeare just past :—June 7th, paid for a Fox head, £00 01s. 00d. “* May 30th, 1688.—John Morris, who was Church-warden last year :— For 8 Urchins (Hedge Hoggs) and 1 Polecat, £00 Ols. 06d.” “ Hedgehogs, it might be mentioned, are still not uncommon in the district, though not often seen. In the grounds at Warley House they were recently so numerous as to be a pest, and they may be met with in woods in the Ryburn Valley, and about Hebden Bridge.” 3°ds sunqowsq ‘AVY WIOVA "BBS ‘WSIBOLCOZ ‘T 938I[d THE ZOOLOGIST No. 694.—Apri, 1899. ZOOLOGICAL NOTES FROM NATAL. By Aurrep D. Minvar. (Pxuate I.) A Monstrous Ray or Devin-risH.—In April, 1898, a crowd was seen on the sea-shore at Durban, drawn together by the inter- esting object represented in the accompanying Plate (I.), a reproduction of a photograph taken by Mr. Burn, of the Natal Drug Company. Some Indians were fishing with their net on the sea-coast when they discovered that something unusually large had come within their grasp, whereupon these men, with great excitement, quickly drew the net shorewards, and, as the waves receded, an enormous Eagle Ray, with its single young, was disclosed to view. The captors smartly fastened ropes to their prize, and anchored it to the shore, gradually drawing it out of the water, but with considerable difficulty. The measurements taken of this fish were 14 ft. 6 in. across the disc, 6 ft. from head to root of tail, and with a tail 6 ft. in length. In order to turn this enormous creature to be photo- graphed on its reverse side, no fewer than twenty natives were required, thus giving some idea as to its weight, which was roughly estimated at about 15 cwt. Although several of these monsters have been observed dis- porting themselves about Durban, this is, I believe, the largest, if not the only specimen of its kind that has been landed on our shores, and it is now preserved and contained in the Durban Museum. 4ool. 4th ser. vol. III., April, 1899. L 146 THE ZO00LO0GiIST. [This is not the first time that attention has been called to these gigantic fishes in the pages of this magazine. In ‘ The Zoologist’ (1849, p. 2358), the late Edward Newman gave an account by Capt. Hamilton of the capture of a specimen in the Gulf of California, which measured nineteen feet across the back. For this unidentified species Mr. Newman proposed the provisional name of Brachioptilon hamiltoni, which by Jordan and Evermann, in their ‘ Fishes of North and Middle America,’ is placed as a synonym of Manta birostris (Walbaum). This fish, generally recorded under the name of Ceratoptera vampyrus, attains a width of twenty feet. Gosse, in referring to this animal under the generic name of Cephaloptera, gives a sensational narrative :—‘‘ Col. Hamilton Smith, in the neighbour- hood of Trinidad, had the pain of witnessing a fellow-creature involved in the horrible embrace of one of these monsters. It was at early dawn that | a soldier was endeavouring to desert from the ship by swimming on shore. A sailor from aloft, seeing the approach of one of these terrific fishes, alarmed the swimmer, who endeavoured to return; but, in sight of his comrades, was presently overtaken, the creature throwing over him one of its huge fins, and thus carrying him down.” ‘The same writer also gives the following extract from a Barbadoes paper :—‘“‘ On the 22nd of August [1843] the brig ‘ Rowena’ was lying in La Guayra Roads, the weather perfectly calm. I discovered the vessel moving about among the shipping. I could not conceive what could be the matter. I gave orders to heave in, and see if the anchor was gone, but it was not; but, to my surprise, I found a tremendous monster entangled fast in the buoy-rope, and moving the anchor slowly along the bottom. I then had the fish towed on shore. It was of a flattish shape, something like a devtl-fish, but very curious shape, being wider than it was long, and having two tusks, one on each side of the mouth, and a very small tail in proportion to the fish, and exactly like a bat’s tail. ‘The tail can be seen on board the brig ‘ Rowena.’ Dimensions of the fish were as follows :—Length from end of tail to end of tusks, 18 ft.; from wing to wing, 20 ft.; the mouth 4 ft. wide; and its weight 3502 lb.” (‘ The Ocean,’ pp. 193-4). According to Prof. Seeley, the Ox Ray, or Sea-Devil (Dicerobatis giorneé) has been captured in the Mediterranean, 28 ft. wide and 21 ft. long, and estimated to weigh a ton. Mr. Lydekker has stated that an Indian representative of Dicerobatis is known to measure 18 ft. across the disc, and a weight of over 1200 lb. has been recorded. Mr. Boulenger (Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. vi. vol. xx. p. 227, 1897) has described a new genus and species from Jamaica, allied to Ceratoptera (Ceratobasis robertsit). ‘The specimen was a young one, but the species is said to grew to a very large size; ‘“ but specimens are almost impossible to obtain, owing to the superstitious fear of the fishermen.” The species here figured probably belongs to the genus Dicerobatis, but as dentition principally separates that genus from Cephaloptera, absolute certainty cannot be obtained from a photograph alone.— ED. |] An ANTELOPE PROTECTING ITs Youna.— There are many instances recorded in which animals have displayed remarkable courage in the protection of their young, and they will frequently expose themselves to imminent danger, though this is common alike ZOOLOGICAL NOTES FROM NATAL. 147 in the higher as well as in the lower orders of animal life. An interesting incident was observed whilst Snipe-shooting at Clare- mont, near Durban, on the 1st November last. My pointer-dog started a young Reed-buck (Cervicapra arundinum), and immedi- ately gave chase. The little buck was apparently but a few days old, and rushed off frantically in the long grass; but the dog soon gained ground, and was just about overtaking it, much to my regret, when the little buck, fearing capture, started bleating. This gave warning to the mother, who, watching us approach, had remained concealed in cover only eighteen inches in height. Immediately the bleating was heard, a fine doe Reed-buck rose within one hundred yards from us, and rushed off gallantly to rescue her young. The dog, not noticing the doe, was in hot pursuit, and within a yard or two of the little fawn, which in a few moments must have fallen to its pursuer. The doe now rushed at full speed, answering her little one’s call in a deep guttural note, and, on overtaking the dog, deliberately jumped over it, and whilst in the air kicked out with her hind legs. The dog fell, but whether from fright or through being kicked over—probably the latter—I was unable to detect ; however, be that as it may, the dog was so startled at such an incident that he immediately pulled up, and stood staring in wonderment, whilst the mother proudly cantered off with her young, a sight that any sportsman would delight to see. STRANGE Messmatres.—In October last I had occasion to watch a pair of Black Saw-winged Swallows (Psalidoprocne holo- melena), in order to discover their nest, and was soon rewarded by seeing one of the birds suddenly disappear in the ground carrying grass. On approaching I found a deserted hole of an Ant-bear,* into which the Swallow had gone. These birds frequent the holes of Ant-bears in preference to an embankment when nesting, and the reason may be readily understood when it is seen what protection is thus afforded against their many enemies. Having observed that the bird was then only con- structing its nest, I decided to revisit the spot shortly afterwards, when, to my surprise, I found that the Ant-bear had returned home to his old haunt, taking up his abode inside. The ground being much disturbed, with the hole partly closed, it struck me * Ardvaark (Orycteropus capensis). L2 148 HE ZOOLOGIST. that the Swallow would not return; consequently I determined to dig down to the nest. Entering the excavation head first, I soon found a small hole about two inches in diameter leadiug upwards about three feet from the entrance. I started burrowing, when the first thing discovered was a spherical white egg recently deposited on the bare ground. This was identified as the egg of the Natal Kingfisher (Ispidina natalensis), the clutch usually consisting of four eggs; and, on going a short distance further in the same hole, I came across the Swallow’s nest, with a clutch of three small pure white elongate eggs, the nest being constructed wholly of minute grass-tufts. Both the Swallow and Kingfisher had made use of the same entrance. The Ant-bear I did not attempt to burrow after, this being a task usually ending in fruitless results, as these curious animals can dig faster than any two individuals provided with spades. A Curious Deposir or Eacs.—For some time past a pair of Brown-hooded Kingfishers (Halcyon albiventris) have frequented my garden, but I was unable to locate their nest. At last, how- ever, I came across one of the birds carrying a grasshopper, which at once led me to understand I was too late, and that the birds were feeding their young. They had nested in the bank of a pit, as is their wont, generally penetrating into the earth about three or four feet. Down this pit an old ladder had been left pro- jecting several feet above the pit’s mouth. About a week later, when revisiting the spot, to my surprise and delight I observed four large round white eggs lying on the ground immediately below one of the bars of the ladder, from which the eggs had evidently been dropped. The bird, having young in its nest, was apparently on the horns of a dilemma; it was useless depositing her eggs with the young, and hence the bird quietly disencumbered herself of the superfluous eggs in this easy but somewhat remark- able manner. The clutch of this bird consists of four round eggs, the shells being very thin, while the newly-laid egg has a salmon tint, the yolk reflecting through; but when the egg is blown it becomes pearly white. October is the nesting season. ¢ ( 149 ) NOTES ON THE BIRDS OF BELGIUM. By O. V. Apuin, F.L.S. I spent a few days in June, 1898 (2nd—10th), in the valley of the Meuse, staying at Dinant, and exploring the main valley from Houx up to Givet just over the French frontier, and parts of the beautiful valley of the Lesse up to Houyet. As the distribution of birds on the European continent has not been very minutely worked out for English readers, a list of those that I saw may be worth printing in ‘ The Zoologist.’ The valley of the Meuse about Dinant and about as far up the river as Hastiére is generally narrow. In places the river is closely hemmed in by high ground, rising sometimes so abruptly as to form towering cliffs inhabited by numerous Jackdaws. At other places the high ground falls back, and leaves space for meadows, a stately chdteau, a farm, or a village. Where the slopes are gradual their sides are covered with scrub wood of hazel, beech, oak, and juniper; and box and other shrubs clothe the broken parts of the cliffs, which are further brightened, except on their smoothest faces, by trailing ivy, yellow lotus, viper’s bugloss, campion, marjoram, wallflower, hawkweed, and rock-rose. Fine plants of blue columbine form an attractive feature on stony banks, while the stinking bear’s-foot (Helleborus fetidus), only a doubtful native with us, grows in profusion. Above the valley stretches a rolling, rather bleak arable country, with some resemblance to parts of the Berkshire downs, save that it is ruled here and there with long lines of roadside poplars and pines. Villages nestling among orchards and paddocks are frequent, and the country waved with rye and corn, and was sweet with sainfoin and trefoil. Above Hastiére the heights sink away, and the valley spreads out into rich wide meadows, corn fields and orchards, varied by some wooded rising ground. This part of the district is very favourable for many kinds of small birds; at that season it was looking its best, the hawthorns 150 THE ZOOLOGIST. and some late apples in bloom, and the flowery meadows more sweet with the scent of clover than any I had ever noticed else- where. Winding valleys leading from the main one penetrate the high-lying land, their sides thickly clothed with woods of oak, elm, ash, and hazel, with alder in the bottoms by the streams, and varied by birch, rowan, beam, and the lines of spruce firs where the roads cut through the woods. The wild and winding valley of the Lesse, with its rapid river now flowing under spreading branches at the foot of wooded slopes, dashing over boulders or washing the base of some cliff, like that on which the Chateau Walzin is perched; now passing more peace- fully through little meadows where the high ground falls back and leaves space for farms and orchards of apple, walnut, and cherry, is not easy to get about in; like all the wooded valleys and scrub-clothed heights, it abounds in Nightingales. I went to Houyet in order to walk through the Royal Forest of Ardenne (now, I believe, turned into a game preserve for the inhabitants of the hotel, once a royal palace) by the glorious road which winds with bold sweeps to the high ground at Sanzinne (about 260 metres). The forest is of oak, birch, hazel, some beech, a kind of elm, ash, and some patches of spruce. Very fine spruces line the road; the undergrowth is very thick, and there is a fair number of large trees. The forest clothes the sides of a valley rising rather steeply from a tiny stream. Where the stream widens out into ornamental water near Houyet, swarms of Edible Frogs (Rana esculenta) were holding high carnival; and on the stony banks of the road, as elsewhere, Lizards were not uncommon on the side which caught the sun. I caught one in another part of Belgium, which appeared to be a brown form of Lacerta muralis. It escaped in my garden here; and I turned ‘up another (the green form), bought in London, to keep it company. Some of the birds which I did noé see in the district are worth remarking upon; for although I may have overlooked some of them, others are, from their habits in early June, so conspicuous, that Ido not think I could have failed to detect them had they been present, or present in any but very small numbers. I failed to see the Missel-Thrush, Redstart, Lesser Whitethroat, Long- tailed Tit, Nuthatch, Spotted Flycatcher, Pied Flycatcher, Gold- NOTES ON THE BIRDS OF BELGIUM. 151 finch, Corn Bunting, Rook, and Kestrel. The Missel-Thrush might have been present, for at that season, with young flown, it is rather a quiet bird. The Nuthatch also becomes much quieter at that season than it is in the spring; I have seen it in October in the woods about La Roche, some thirty miles to the eastward. And the Long-tailed Tit is not usually numerous enough for one to make sure of seeing it during a search of only ten days’ duration. The Rook seems to be anything but gene- rally distributed on the Continent. The Kestrel certainly could not have been otherwise than scarce; I expected it would be common about the cliffs. But I hardly think I could have overlooked the other six species. The conspicuous Pied Fly- catcher, which to all appearance would have been exactly suited by the hanging woods coming down to a dashing river and orchards in the Lesse valley, is so local in its distribution that one must never wonder at not finding it. But I was astonished not to see the familiar grey friend of our gardens. Gardens there were in abundance, but I did not see a single Spotted Fly- catcher in the district; at all events it must have been rare, for its ways make it conspicuous. When staying a few days at Mechelen, later on, I found it in the Botanic Garden there. The Common Redstart would not easily be overlooked, but I did not see it in Belgium; though R. titys was common. The Gold- finch—conspicuous alike in plumage, song, and call-note—I did not meet with; and the Corn Bunting—which one would at first expect to find enlivening the high-lying, open arable land with its skirling song—remained true to its character of a curiously local bird by shunning the land. But, on considering the matter, I remember that there is an absence of low hedges and walls, as of tall thistle and dock, on this well-cultivated field, so that the Corn Bunting would have no suitable perch whereon to alight after one of those wobbling flights which it delights to take, with its legs dangling. Woodpeckers were scarce. I never saw either the Spotted or Barred (the former I saw once at La Roche in October); and though I occasionally heard a Gecinus, I could not even decide for certain upon the species. The Ring Dove and Stock Dove were both scarce; the former curiously so. Turdus musicus.—Here, as in some other parts of the Conti- nent, a shy forest or woodland species, Three were singing in 152 THE ZOOLOGIST. the upper part of the Forest of Ardenne; and another on the wooded slope of the valley of the Molignée about Montaigle. T. merula.—Its haunts are similar to those in this country ; common. Saxicola cnanthe.—A pair on high, open ground, near Sanzinne (about 800 feet), perched several times in young walnut trees and an apple tree in an orchard. I saw a female about a marble quarry close to the Meuse below Dinant. Pratincola rubetra.—Numerous in the meadows along the Meuse, some way above Dinant. P. rubicolan—Quite common along the Meuse above Dinant ; perhaps drawn away from the bushy hillsides and cliffs by the railway and telegraph wires. Also seen in a bushed gorge lead- ing up from Bouvigne. Ruticilla titys —Common, and generally distributed in suit- able localities. It is quite a house-bird, frequenting even con- siderable towns; and during this visit to Belgium I only twice saw it away from buildings. In one case an old male sat ona projecting rock on the cliff face a long way from any houses; in the other, a male was perched on a dead branch of a low bush in the middle of the refuse bank at a marble quarry. In Givet three were singing; one of them from the steeply-pitched roof of the church in the middle of the town. At Hastiére one sang from the roof of the old inn; and another from the new brewery chimney. At Hermeton-sur-Meuse, a farm—with its odoriferous cowhouses and yard deep in manure, which it loves so well—had its pair, for each pair seems to have its allotted location, and does not, in the country at least, often admit of very near neighbours. When dwelling in a town amid a waste of steep roofs of all sizes and pitched at all angles, they are rather less exclusive. Stately chateau, vile modern villa, and humble white-walled cottage are alike favoured by this most domestic bird. It dearly loves one of those typical Ardenne villages like Houyet; or long, straight, one-streeted Sommiére, where the cowhouse can hardly be dis- tinguished from the owner’s green-shuttered dwelling, and the doors of each are alike and side by side, while a rude ladder con- ducts the hens to a hole in the wall; almost every house is pro- vided with a midden-place in lieu of a front garden, the manure neatly supported by a low wall or a wattle fence. All this results NOTES ON THE BIRDS OF BELGIUM. 1538 from the almost universal plan of house-feeding the cows, and is to the advantage of the Black Redstart, for flies and other in- sects swarm. The male occasionally, when flying from one spot to another, finishes its flight with wings thrown up and tail somewhat spread. Seen thus against a dark background it is a pretty object, the red tail being very conspicuous. Although more than one male was located within easy earshot of my bed- room window in Dinant, it was only in the very early hours of the day—before the dog-carts and trolleys and long, narrow country carts began their frightful rattle and din on the sharp-edged rough stones with which the streets are so vilely paved—that I could hear the song well. But if you are awake at dawn, while it is yet too dark to see the birds, you can hear the song to per- fection. The song of one bird, written down there, was some- times “chy wy wy wy wy (quickly) chee e eo,” or “‘chich wich wich tich (quickly) itchyty (confused and internal) cheeo weo dee” (clear and sweet). It is, perhaps, the crystal clearness and brightness of the song, with its rather shrill tone, which makes this pure, sweet song carry so far. And it is this characteristic purity and clearness which constitutes its individuality. It is probable that two broods of young may be reared by some pairs. On June 4th full-fledged young sat with quivering, hardly fully- grown tails, on a heap of ancient stones piled up in an angle between the Norman church and the wall in the neglected churchyard at Hastiére. Erithacus rubecula.—A good many seen and heard in the woods ; also some in the gardens at the back of the Casino at Dinant, which include a piece of the steep wooded rocky hillside. Daulias luscinia.— Could be heard from the hotel at night and early in the morning; haunted the Casino gardens and the rest of the wooded cliffs at the back of Dinant, and all possible loca- lities. In the woods it was abundant, and really rather a nuisance sometimes when one was trying to listen to other birds. I listened in one wood to a babel of sound produced by three Nightingales, a Garden Warbler, a Robin, a Chiffchaff, and a Chaffinch, all singing at once, and not far apart. Some young birds were probably hatched by the 3rd, as I heard the sharp “whit”? and the croak from one anxious pair, and the croak. 154 THE ZOOLOGIST. from others. Nightingales could often be seen on the roadsides, and were wonderfully tame. Sylvia cinerea.—N ot very common. S. atricapilla.—In the woods and Casino gardens, &c. The song of some birds seemed exceptionally fine and powerful. S. hortensis—Common in the woods, and noticed on the wooded slopes. In fine rich song. Regulus cristatus—Appeared to be tolerably common in spruce firs. RK. wgnicapillus.—I had a good view of a bright male in a spruce by the side of the road passing through the Forest of Ardenne. It looks rather a longer bird than the last, and is very quick in its ways. Phylloscopus rufus:—Common in woods, gardens, and wooded cliffs. P. trochilus.x—On the 8rd I noticed several in song in a wooded part of Lesse valley near Walzin; but it was not observed elsewhere. P. sibilatriz.—In the Forest of Ardenne there were two or three about some oak trees, and I listened for some time to the curious “ chit-it-tit-titereeeeeee,” beginning rather slowly and going into a trill. There was another in song ina little oak wood by the Lesse at Houyet. P. bonellui.—I had a long interview with a pair of Bonelli’s Warblers in the Bois de Roquet, near Dinant. The male sang often. The song is a quick, rapid outburst, louder and fuller than a Wood Wren’s, but shorter, and with no preliminary slower syllables. It might be lettered ‘‘ chititereee ’’—a short outburst, shorter and more rapid than the Lesser Whitethroat’s, which it somewhat resembles, but than which it is less loud and metallic. A call-note (that of the male) I noted down on this occasion as a kind of ‘‘ creech creech creech,” followed by one or two sharp little notes, only sometimes heard. I first became acquainted with this curious note in the high-lying cork and oak forest on the spurs of the Atlas in western Tunisia. It puzzled me greatly at first; but finally I shot a male in the act of uttering it. I find that at that time I noted it down as the call of the male, consist- ing of five notes, and rendered it thus: ‘“‘aych aych aych chit chit.” The pair I saw near Dinant frequented some oak trees, and came NOTES ON THE BIRDS OF BELGIUM. 155 low down, so that I got good views of them. Bonelli’s Warbler is a coldly-coloured little bird when seen against fresh, young green leaves, and at a little distance shows no yellow tints. The range of this little bird in Central Kurope does not appear to be fully worked out at present. Hypolais icterina.—I met with about half a dozen birds in wooded places, a wood, and a garden. The song is marvellously varied, and the variations seem endless; short phrases are tried over three or four times sometimes, long ones only once: the song is a running one to this extent. It is a very remarkable and striking song, but I do not think it is a fine one, the notes being usually very harsh, and wanting in mellowness and melody. In the space of a quarter of an hour, during which the bird sang continually, I could detect no mocking of other birds. There is a characteristic sound about the song of this bird (shared in some degree by at least two others of the genus Hypolais) by which you can recognise it at once; but the bird is sometimes easy to see when you have once made out its greenish-yellow tints against the foliage, and you can note its orange mouth and throbbing throat. Here are some phrases I took down from the song of the bird just mentioned:—‘“‘ ts quairk (grating and twangy) tisk tisk; sik sik sik, kik kik kik (high and shrill); tsairk (low and quavering like the cry of young hawks) poo-it poo-it; pit-it pit-it pit-it; tip tip tip; ti-op ti-op; pitch-it pitch-it; kip kip kip care; it-care it-care; ik-waya ik-waya; too-ay, too-ay too-ay; it-tay it-tay it-tay it-tay: wik wik zay” (three times over). Acrocephalus streperus.—Two or three at some pools near Givet (see below); and one singing in a willow bush on the banks of the Meuse at Houx. A. turdoides.—Just below Givet, in some flat grassy waste land, there are some large pools, perhaps partly formed by digging material for banking in the river (which is locked). The pools are partly grown up with thick beds of reeds, flags, and other water plants, and thickets of willows of two or three species,—some bushes eight or ten feet high. As I approached the pools, and was still at a considerable distance from them, I was attracted by some notes of a peculiarly guttural song, and as I drew nearer I had no doubt that here was one of the birds I 156 THE ZO0O0OLOGIST. was hoping to meet with. Here I found these great Warblers in some numbers, and listened to perhaps half a score or more in the limited space I explored. The place was a veritable strong- hold for the birds, as, in the absence of a boat, one could not hope to reach a nest, or indeed get very close to the birds. But the loud croaking song could be listened to easily, and could be heard from afar. Not much less conspicuous were the birds themselves, with their dull brown upper parts, reddish-brown tail, and whitish under parts (the contrast between the colours of the head and back and the tail is not very obvious in dried skins, but it is remarkable in the living bird), for they often perched on an upper willow twig, quite high up, or on a flag or reed stem in an open spot. The Great Reed Warbler sits, when singing, in a very upright position, with the point of its bill raised, the biil open as it sings, and the throat throbbing and swelled so that the small feathers part, showing their dusky bases, and the bird appears almost to possess a dusky gular spot. It is a restless, bold, and noisy bird at this season, and often takes flight from bush to bush. The song is very remarkable. The likeness of some notes in it, in character, to those of a Frog is very striking, although they do not exactly resemble those of any kind of Frog with which I am acquainted. The bird’s notes are chiefly grating, and often have a guttural tone. These are some notes and phrases which I wrote down :—“ Gurk gurk gurk; gurruck gurruck gurruck ; ick ick ick ick; gik gik gik (shrill and squeaky) ; ajik ajik ajik; jirp jirp jirp ik ik; garra garra geek (last note high, and the g hard); gak gak karry karry (the last two notes high). Two or three Reed Warblers (Acrocephalus streperus) sang in their leisurely way in some of the thicker willows. Edible Frogs (Rana esculenta) in great numbers croaked their loud harsh grating cries, or splashed noisily into the water from spots where they had been sunning themselves. On the grassy land between the pools and the Meuse several Blue-headed Wag- tails ran after insects, or rose with their plaintive “ wich-ooo”’ or ‘‘wich-eee”’ as I passed. Sedge Warblers, haunting the ditch below the river bank, contributed their hurried song, and a few Sky-Larks and Whinchats made up the bird-life in evidence, although visions of small species of the genus Porzana and some more secret Warblers made me long for a boat and a week’s NOTES ON THE BIRDS OF BELGIUM. 157 search of the reed-beds and lush vegetation of the pools, over which a small species of dragonfly darted and hovered in numbers. I did not find the Great Reed Warbler in any other locality in the Dinant district, but met with it near Mechelen. A. phragmitis.—Pretty common along the Meuse, especially above Hastiére. Often to be seen singing on the wing, flying up high into the air also and then descending singing into a low tree or bush. I could not detect the Aquatic Warbler. Accentor modularis.—I only saw two; one near the railway - at Agimont, the other singing from the top of a roadside spruce in the Forest of Ardenne. Here, as in Switzerland, it does not seem to be the familiar garden bird it is with us. Later on I met with it, however, in the Botanic Garden at Mechelen. Parus major.—This widely distributed species was on the whole the commonest Titmouse; there were fully fledged young at Houx on the 9th. P. ater.—I met with some in the Forest of Ardenne, and a pair in the valley of the Lesse near Walzin. P. palustris.—Seen in the same localities, and in about the same numbers as the last named species. P. ceruleus.—Frequently seen; almost as common as the Greater Tit. Troglodytes parvulus.—Frequently seen; Forest of Ardenne, Casino gardens, &c. Certhia familiaris.—Seen once. Motacilla alba.—Common. Young broods were on the wing, and, as I could only see these and old males (at least I could not see a bird which looked like a female), I imagine the females were sitting on second clutches. White Wagtails were especially common by the Meuse below Hastiére; they often flew about half-way across the river with a dancing flight, about a foot above the surface of the water, to catch flies, and then returned to sit on the road, the low stone posts, or the iron protecting rail. M. flava.—There were many Blue-headed Wagtails all down the Meuse from Givet, but they were commonest in the wide meadows above Hastiére. Some hawked flies over the river, returning to perch near the spot they started from; they usually hawked higher in the air than the White Wagtails. These Wag- tails perched habitually in the willows and the young fruit trees 158 THE ZOOLOGIST. planted along the path by the river. A male without a tail had a most extraordinary appearance. Anthus trivialis. — Fairly common; about the edges of woods, &c. Oriolus galbula.—I heard the note of this bird in the Bois de Roquet. Lanius collurio.—Ii saw four males and one female. A male flew past one day with a cockchafer in his bill. Having settled on a bare branch, he put the chafer under foot and devoured it piecemeal, giving two or three harsh notes of satisfaction at the finish. Hirundo rustica.—Not very numerous, and far less so than the next species. Chelidon urbica.—Abundant. All up the Meuse from Namur, as we approached Dinant on a wet evening, the House Martins were conspicuous over the river, and they were numerous at Dinant, and about a large farm in the Lesse valley. In Givet they were in some numbers, and bred unmolested in the corners of windows, as well as under the eaves. In these towns there are not the swarms of Sparrows that we have. A crowd of Martins were collecting mud at a small pond at Sanzinne, and the same day we found them swarming in Houyet, a typical Ardenne village devoted to cows. It is quite a pleasure to see any number of Martins, for it is some years since I have seen a building well decorated with nests in England. Cotile ruparia.—A small colony in a shallow sand-pit near Agimont. As they were common over the Meuse about Dinant, I supposed that some bred in holes between the stones of the built-up river banks, and other supporting walls where roads had been cut out, for I saw no sandy places in the immediate neigh- bourhood. Yet all day they skimmed low over the water, and they haunted the river more than either Swallows or House Martins. Ligurinus chloris.—Seen occasionally. Passer domesticus.—Did not swarm as with us. P. montanus.—Seen about young apple trees at Agimont; a pair near Houyet, and others in a garden there. ‘The Tree Sparrow appears to be rather a common bird in Belgium. Fringilla celebs.—Common; in the roadside trees in the NOTES ON THE BIRDS OF BELGIUM. 159 Forest of Ardenne, for instance. Many are kept caged in towns and villages, and sing very loudly; all that I examined were blind. The Chaffinch here sings along and good strain. The first part is long, although usually rather sibilant; the second part is loud and full. The fact that the song of the Chaffinch differs (more or less) in different districts was remarked upon long ago by Humboldt, who, writing of the Canary of Montaiia Clara, says :—‘ The note of these birds varies with their flocks, like that of our Chaffinches, which often differs in two neigh- bouring districts’ (‘ Personal Narrative,’ vol. i. p. 89). Linota cannabina.—Common about bushy cliffs and box-clad gorge, as well as by the river. Pyrrhula europea.—I met with a pair in a wood bearing the curious name of Bois de Froide Veau (so in the map), and another in the valley of the Molignée. Emberiza citrinella.—Seen about the arable land, and bushed gorge above Bouvigne. fj. scheeniclus.—One by the Meuse. Sturnus vulgaris.—A few near Dinant. Garrulus glandarius.—Two in the Forest of Ardenne, one of which was making a queer attempt to sing, or rather to chant. Pica rustica.—Occasionally seen. Corvus monedula. ——- Numerous; they haunt, among other places, the cliff under the Chateau Walzin, various bare cliffs along the Meuse, the old Norman church at Hastiére, and the ruins of the Chateau Montaigle, on an isolated rock rising straight from the Molignée. C. corone.—Seen about the cliffs and wooded heights along the river, and in the Forest of Ardenne. Alauda arvensis.—Fairly common on the open arable land, and some near Givet. Cypselus apus.—A fair number about Dinant, and Swifts were to be seen about high cliffs here and there between that place and Givet. In Givet the Swift was the ruling species, and abundant. Lynx torquillan—Heard twice in the distance. Gecinus ?,—I heard several times the note of a Green Woodpecker in the woods and forest, but never saw the bird. On some occasions the laugh seemed deep in tone, as if it proceeded from G. canus, but this is uncertain. 160 THE ZOOLOGIST. Alcedo ispida.—One crossed the Meuse with a silvery fish crosswise in its bill. Cuculus canorus.—Common. On one occasion three in close company crossed a road leading through a wood. Syrnium aluco. — 'The remains of one lay by the roadside in a wood. Athene noctua.—On two occasions I heard what I believe was the note of this bird, in woods. Buteo vulgaris.—In the Forest of Ardenne I watched one soar up out of sight; saw another mobbed by Crows, and heard the wailing cry on two occasions. Columba palumbus.—Strangely scarce; two only seen flying along wooded heights across the river. C. enas.—One in the distance flying along a wooded slope at Houyet. C. lwia.—I saw a bird exactly resembling a wild Rock Dove about some river cliffs far from any (visible) house. Turtur communis.—Several in woods. Phasianus colchicus. — Heard several times in the Bois du Séminaire and the Forest of Ardenne. Perdix cinerea.—I saw birds twice, once on the high ground at the back of Dinant, and again near Sommieére. Coturnix communis.—I heard a Quail calling from a field gay and sweet with sainfoin and yellow trefoil on the high-lying arable land above Bouvigne. Aiigialitis hiaticula ?.—I saw a bird flying in the distance over the pools at Givet, which appeared to be a Ringed Plover. From the 10th to the 14th of June I was at Mechelen, in the flat rich Flemish country. I made a list of the birds I saw, and it may be worth giving shortly. ‘Those species marked with an asterisk were not met with about Dinant. The sandy land around Mechelen is very highly cultivated, and corn-fields, varied by many acres devoteé to the cultivation of asparagus and other vegetables for the great marché of Mechelen, stretch away as far as the eye can see. But the country is well wooded with lines of poplars and plantations. There are grass marshes along the tidal, embanked Dyle and elsewhere, and willow and alder along the drains. But the country is densely populated, and a few NOTES ON THE BIRDS OF BELGIUM. 161 hours’ drive over the paved roads takes you past numerous little villages and scattered houses, cheerfully adorned with red roofs, white walls, and green shutters. It was not therefore surprising to find that resident birds were scarce. The numerous popula- tion of small cultivators may account for the scarcity, as well as for the fact that you may probably see in Mechelen more carts drawn by dogs than in any other town. Turdus merula.—In the Botanical Garden. Pratincola rubetraa—Some in the grass marshes. P. rubicola.—A pair carrying food on the bushed banks of a fortification. Ruticilla titys. — Several seen in Mechelen (49,000 inhabi- tants), on the houses; one in the Grande Place. Daulias luseinia.—Heard in all the small plantations, and about country houses; I saw and heard several in the Botanical Garden. Sylvia cinerea.—Fairly common. S. atricapilla.—Plantations and Botanical Garden, where it was in very fine song. S. hortensis.—Appeared to be common in plantations. Hypolais icterina.—One heard to the north of the town; another haunted the Botanical Garden. I heard a few rather good notes from this bird, and a regular screech once or twice ; but I had no opportunity of listening to it well on account of a brass band and a crowd of people interfering on one occasion, and a cold grey morning on another. * Acrocephalus palustris ?.—A bird singing, but out of sight, in a patch of tall rye bounded by a wet ditch and garden ground, was probably a Marsh Warbler. I heard imitations of the notes of Swallow, Whinchat, and Stonechat, with Nightingale-like notes and low chattering notes. A. turdoides.—I heard the grating notes from some reeds and willows some way off on the other side of the Dyle. At a forti- fication to the north of the town there was a moat, of which I could get an occasional glimpse from the road. There I heard two or three of these Warblers, and caught sight of one. I did not think it desirable to poke about the place much with glasses and note-book ! Accentor modularis.— Seen once or twice in the Botanical Garden. Zool. 4th ser. vol. III., Aprul, 1899 M 162 TAH: ZOOLOGISE: Parus major and P. ceruleus.—Occasionally seen. T'roglodytes parvulus.—About gardens, several times. Motacilla alba.—Saw a few. In the Botanical Garden was the only adult female, so far as I could judge, that I saw in Belgium. It had the crown sooty mixed with grey. * M1. melanope.—To my great surprise, I saw a black-throated Grey Wagtail sitting on a bare twig over a piece of water in the Botanical Garden. A tidal creek, or branch of the Dyle, bounds the garden on one side. Anthus trivialis.— Seemed fairly common about wayside poplars. Oriolus galbula.—I heard the note in a wood near the Chateau Rubens. One bird (and I think another also) was singing in the thickest parts of the tall trees which stand round the Botanical Garden. I moved it more than once, and at last got the glass on a male as it flew out. It is far from a conspicuous bird when seen against a background of fresh green, and moreover it is loth to leave the thick foliage. Its sweet rich “‘lit-a-vool” or “ lit-a- vool-ee”’ was, I think, followed by some low chattering notes, heard only on two occasions, when I was just under the place where I thought the bird was sitting; but I could never see it when it was perched. Laniwus collurio.—One male. *Muscicapa grisola.—Several about the Botanical Garden. Hirundo rustica.—In fair numbers. Chelidon urbica.—A few only compared with some places. Passer domesticus.—N ot conspicuously abundant. P. montanus. — Saw a good many. Some seen about pollard trees, and several times dusting by the roadside. Apparently rather a common bird in Belgium. Fringilla celebs.x—About gardens and wayside trees. Emberiza citrinella.a—Fairly common by the roadsides. Some males were very bright, as at Dinant also. E. sheniclus.—Several along the high banks of the tidal Dyle; also about reeds in the grass marshes, and along a canal. Sturnus vulgaris—Common about grass marshes, &c. Some were in flocks; others inhabited St. Rombaut’s great tower. Seen in Antwerp. Pica rustica.—Several times seen by the wayside. NOTES ON SPHE BIRDSVOF BHEGIUM. 163 Corvus monedula. — Inhabited St. Rombaut’s ‘lower and the Botanical Garden. In the Zoological Gardens at Antwerp I saw a pair of white Daws with pink legs and bill, and white (ordinary ?) irides. C’. corone.—Two or three seen. Alauda arvensis.—A few seen one day. *A. cristata.—On a large open bare sandy piece of ground out- side Mechelen I saw a Crested Lark (very much the colour of the soil), which was beating some prey against the ground. When this Lark is alarmed its long crest stands up. I was glad to hear again its call-note ‘‘sweet-a-weet,” or ‘‘ weeta,”’ or “‘seee weet weet.” Another bird was singing, flying about in a desultory way, going a little way, and then pausing to sing its very sweet song (with a variation of the call-note) with beating wings; then dropping away down wind, to bear up again presently, and repeat the per- formance. So the song is often interrupted by flights. The big bill of the Crested Lark is conspicuous, as also is the light, bright brown in the tail when the bird flies up. Cypselus apus.—Swarmed in great numbers round the huge cathedral tower (St. Rombaut’s, 324 ft.). They could be heard from our windows screaming faintly, apparently at a vast height, after 9 p.m., when it was almost dark. In the evenings they swarmed in the air round the tower, and also about a large building looking like a factory ; there were fair numbers all about the town and in the vicinity. In few other towns have I[ seen Swifts in such numbers. Gecinus ?.,—A Green Woodpecker (apparently G. viridis) heard in a plantation. Columba palumbus.—Several about plantations. Turtur communis.—Several about plantations. mM 2 164 THE ZOOLOGIST. FECUNDITY IN EACH AVINE SPECIES, VARYING ACCORDING TO ACCIDENTS OF LOCALITY. By Basi Davis. In a former article I attempted to describe how the peculiari- ties of any species might cause its reproduction to differ from that of another: it is now my purpose to describe, if in a some- what partial and incomplete manner, how the members of a single species may differ inter se as regards this function, because of the more or less favourable circumstances under which they may happen to breed. The possibility, and, later, the certainty of these differences and their origin, was early brought under my notice, seeing that for several years I alternately resided in the bleak and smoky outskirts of a northern manufacturing town, and on the edge of some of the richest land in the fertile western counties. I have also to thank Mr. W. Storrs Fox for supplying a little evidence upon my present subject in his kindly criticism of last month. My ornithological books early informed me that a Hedge- Sparrow laid from four to'six eggs, yet near my northern home I never found a clutch to exceed two; and so scant was the insect-life of the neighbourhood that a year would occasionally pass without my finding a single nest of the species. I personally have notes of many completed clutches of two, and a friend’s voluminous diary can only furnish three clutches exceeding that number during a continuous residence of several years in the same district. In Gloucestershire, however, five was the usual number, and a nest of six occasioned no remark. In Lancashire the lingering winter, combined with a foul and smoke-polluted atmosphere, rendered insect-life nowhere abundant. In most English localities you may rely on retaining a pair of “resident ” birds to breed with you during the summer, if you mark them frequenting your fields and hedgerows in the latter end of March ; but at R the birds would weary of waiting for the tardy FECUNDITY. 165 spring. By means of some agency in the bird-world, corre- sponding, I suppose, to our daily press, they would hear of lovely nesting weather in Derbyshire; and to me March’s promise brought but regrets in May. Even when insectivorous birds were few and far between, nature’s providence forbade the laying of a full clutch, clearly evidencing the sparseness of the food- supply. Near Clifton I have often found six Hedge-Sparrows’ nests containing the full clutch within the bounds of a single field, without regard to Chiffchaffs and Whitethroats catering for hungry families on very similar lines. My favourite authorities would further inform me that the Sand-Martin is accustomed to lay from four to six eggs in its solitary clutch year by year. My notes of expeditions in the south and west confirm this rule, giving five as the common number, and fouras the minimum. There rises before my vision a northern colony of this river-haunting bird. I see a miniature amphitheatre of oozing clay, its lofty sides dotted with Irishmen wielding spades and encroaching yet farther on the plateau-like meadow-land above; where we expect the arena is a loathsome clay-pool, slimy brown and forbidding, destitute of reed or flag. One side of the encircling banks has ended abruptly in a sand- wall, and here the Martins have found a home. The birds are flitting over the clay-pool, actually struggling for each rising fly. The meadows they will resort to towards sunset. The land is too poor to breed the humble fly ; there are on it only the tiny moths which sleep by day among the blades and grass roots. On Aug. 10th, 1896, I examined seventeen nests in such a place as this, and no nest contained more than three eggs or young. If we transport ourselves to some shelving sand-bank on some southern stream, we see the Martins flitting about careless of each other’s prey. A warmer temperature and the vegetation plenteous in the stream-bed render insect-food abundant, and every tunnel in the wall’s face will give to light five or six young Martins before September comes. It is a great help in bird study to acquaint oneself with gamekeepers. One vacation I was trespassing, countenanced by the head keeper, and I found two Sparrow-Hawks’ nests in woods three or four miles apart. Hach contained the magnificent clutch of seven eggs, forming a picture none the less delightful 166 THE ZOOLOGIST. because I had no desire to “collect” them. I resolved to tell the keeper of the unusual discovery, although I expected him to grumble because I had not destroyed them. ‘To my surprise he was well pleased. He told me how his master had caused all the Hawks on his estate to be slain as far as was practicable, with the exception of an occasional pair in woods lying remote from each other. He desired to protect his coverts, but, like a true sportsman, he could admire a stately bird in mid-air; con- sequently a pair was suffered to nest here and there undisturbed. These orders, the keeper continued, had been in force some ten years, and the clutches of surviving pairs had each year increased from the time when he had received orders to destroy as many as possible. There were now remaining some three or four pairs of Sparrow-Hawks on the whole estate. The Kestrels had been exterminated. He had frequently found clutches of six of late years, and on rare occasions the larger number of seven. This certainly appears to point to the conclusion that increased scope for foraging results in increased fecundity. The Yellowhammer is an excellent example of my point. After a long correspondence in the ‘ Feathered World,’ Mr. John Craig, of Beith, and one or two others began to collect statistics regarding the usual number of eggs deposited by this Bunting in one nest. Mr. Craig himself showed that in Ayrshire a clutch of three was normal ; this county consists largely of sheep-farming land, and alternates between rather thin close-cropped grazing- ground and furze-clad moorland, foliage and herbage being nowhere luxuriant. Ina western English county I obtained sufficient evi- dence to show that five was there the usual clutch; while a Cheshire friend stated that four was usual in his neighbourhood, five and three being of less common occurrence. Cheshire, as regards fertility, comes about half-way between the two extreme in- stances previously cited. It possesses a tolerably productive soil, bearing a reasonable proportion of woodland and thick ground herbage. To speak on broader lines, I everywhere found large clutches in the west and small clutches in the north. I well remember one afternoon with the birds of Somersetshire. The ground we traversed was a large plain, moist, loamy, and dark-soiled, inter- sected by numerous rhines, fences, and hedgerows. Nests were FECUNDITY. 167 everywhere abundant, everywhere cramful of eggs, and all species seemed to be adequately represented. Nearly every nest we examined contained the maximum clutch permitted by book- writing authorities, and in some cases the legitimate number was exceeded, the most notable instance, perhaps, being that of a Whinchat incubating seven eggs. Indeed, the wit of the party remarked that the prescribed maximum had been passed in the case of every nest we had found, save that of the miserable Cushat-Dove, which had merely deposited the regulation couple. 168 THE ZOOLOGIST. THE COLORATION OF BRITISH BIRDS AND THEIR EGGS. By W. Srorrs Fox, M.A., F.Z.S. Some three years ago I made a rough table of the coloration of British birds and their eggs. I did this for the benefit of a local Naturalists’ Club. Last year I had reason to revise this table. AsI do not know of the existence of anything on quite similar lines, it has struck me that it may be of interest to some of the readers of ‘ The Zoologist.’ In dealing with coloration it stands to reason that there cannot be one law for birds found in the British Islands, and another which applies to those inhabiting the rest of the world. But, being more familiar with our own birds, I have drawn my illustrations from them almost entirely. I believe that the principles laid down in this paper are of universal application, and that the interest attached to them will not be lessened by the fact that the examples given are taken from a small group of islands. _ The introduction to the second volume of Seebohm’s ‘ British Birds’ consists of an account by Mr. Charles Dixon of the pro- tective colour of eggs. ‘The subject is there dealt with at some length. Dr. A. R. Wallace, when treating of the coloration of birds’ eggs, refers to that ‘“‘ valuable work.”’* Mr. Dixon has collected a number of very interesting facts, and everyone inter- ested in the subject ought to read his account. It will be seen from the two following tables that certain general principles govern the colours of both birds and their eggs. There are, however, some very awkward exceptions to the rule. Perhaps someone will throw light upon these difficulties. When it is clear that eggs are usually protectively coloured, it is strange that we ever should come across any which lack such protection. * ¢ Darwinism,’ p. 214. COLOURATION OF BIRDS AND THEIR HGGS. 169 So also with the birds themselves, it is difficult to see why the cock Song-Thrush should be protectively coloured, but the cock Blackbird conspicuous on account of his intense black plumage. IT am not aware that the former assists in incubating the eggs, and that the latter does not perform any such office. It is obvious that certain birds have little or no need of protectively coloured plumage. Some are naturally protected by their size and strength, e.g. the Swan; others by size combined with gregarious habits, as the Rook and Heron; or, by these defences combined with great powers of diving, as the Cormorant and Guillemot. Birds, except very small ones, which nest in holes can dispense with protective colours. It may fairly be said that the position and structure of the nests regulate the colouring of the birds them- selves as well as their eggs, and that wherever there is no special need for sombre shades of plumage, conspicuous or bright hues prevail. ) I. Of birds which make open nests, either (a) both sexes are protectively coloured; or (0) the hen so coloured and the cock more showy. It will be readily seen that small birds, and birds frequenting very exposed places, specially need protection. It is such birds which have both sexes protectively coloured, e.g. Song-Thrush Hedge-Sparrow, Lark, smaller Game-birds, Rails, Plovers, Sand- pipers. Certain species of the last-named group have the sexes different. That the hen should be sombre but the cock conspicuous is not surprising in large birds, such as Ducks and the larger Game-birds. But in a less degree it holds good also in the case of many small birds, such as the Blackbird, Blackcap, Wag- tails, some of the Finches, and Buntings ; but in all these (except the Blackbird) the colouring of the upper parts tends to har- monize with their surroundings. Among the Plovers and Sandpipers the Dotterel (Charadrius morinellus) and Phalarope (Phalaropus hyperboreus) may be men- tioned as exceptional, for with them the female is more brightly coloured than the male. The explanation lies in the fact that these males perform the duties of incubation. Most sea-birds are equally showily coloured in both sexes. They nearly all have pure white under parts, which strongly 170 THHKE ZOOLOGIST. contrast with the grey or black of their upper parts; as, for instance, Terns, Auks, Gulls, Divers, Grebes. Here it must be pointed out that (1) parts of plumage which are never displayed are dull-coloured; (2) parts which are out of sight when the birds are at rest, but which appear during flight, or under excitement, are often ornamented with beautiful colours or patterns. Examples may be found among Pheasants and Sandpipers. Conspicuous marks exposed during flight possibly act as danger signals* Probably all such showy colours and patterns are made use of in courtship and in battle. The larger Gulls take three or four years before they attain to mature plumage. The plumage of quite young Gulls is sombre, The stages through which they pass before arriving at maturity are supposed to be recapitulations of former states of colouring.t II. Birds which nest in holes. As arule, both sexes of such birds have conspicuous plumage ; as Woodpecker, Kingfisher, Sheldrake; and, among foreign birds, Parrot, Toucan. But small birds, such as Tits, Nuthatch, are much less brightly coloured than larger ones. There are some noticeable exceptions to this rule. In the case of the Wheatears and Redstarts, the hens are sombre in colour, and the cocks much more striking looking. According to my own experience of Saxicola enanthe and Ruticilla phenicurus, they place their nests quite out of sight. I have very little acquaintance with the other members of these genera, but, so far as I can gather, the nests of some species are usually quite hidden, whereas those of others may be as much open to view as are many nests of the Pied Wagtail. Is it possible that with our common Wheatear and Redstart the sombre hues of the hens’ plumage date back to a time when the nest was always more exposed to view ? The Wryneck and many of the Petrels are also exceptions, as both sexes are clad in dull-coloured garb. I know of no satis- factory explanation. III. All British birds which build covered nests have both sexes alike, and are sombre in colouring. They are small * Newton’s ‘ Dictionary of Birds,’ p. 101; Wallace’s ‘ Darwinism,’ pp. 217-226. + Newton’s ‘ Dictionary of Birds,’ p. 100. COLOURATION OF BIRDS AND THEIR EGGS. 171 defenceless birds, such as the Wren, Willow-Warbler, and Dipper. IV. Nocturnal birds, e.g. Nightjar, Owl, have plumage which will conceal them during the day. At first sight the Barn Owl would seem to be an exception, but this species is much more retiring than most of the others, and hides away entirely out of sight. VY. The usually dull colours of the Accipitres may help these birds to escape the notice of their prey. Such an explanation is not very satisfactory, as they do not sit still and wait for their prey to approach them. But, as these birds are well able to take care of themselves, they might be expected to have bright- coloured plumage. There are certain individual cases which are very difficult to explain :— (a) Why is the common Swift (Cypselus apus) such a sombre- looking bird ? (b) Does the Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) really mimic a Hawk ? There are other members of this family which appear to mimic species which are not allied to them. (c) How is the Egret (Ardea garzetta) protected? It is not large, and has pure white plumage. Is its beak a sufficient means of defence ? (dq) Ruffs (Machetes pugnax) are adorned with variously coloured plumes about the neck. They go through a form of battle for the Reeves. Such characteristics are contrary to the rule of the family (Scolopacide) to which they belong. By way of explanation, Darwin* states that the males of this species are probably polygamous. (ec). The plumage of the hen Oriole (Oriolus galbula) and the Jay (Garrulus glandarius) is quite bright enough to be con- spicuous. But they nest among the thickest foliage. Just as the coloration of birds’ plumage falls naturally into divisions depending upon the nesting habits of the species con- cerned, so also may their eggs be grouped on similar lines. And moreover, the less important divisions also correspond in both cases. But when we are considering eggs laid in open nests, it * © Descent of Man,’ ch. viii. 172 THE ZOOLOGIST. is necessary to remember that such nests are nearly always partially covered by overhanging leaves and branches, by a pro- jection of rock or stone, by thick herbage, or by sedges and long grasses. This fact will often account for the deeper or paler shades of egg-colouring. I. Eggs laid in open nests are coloured. (a) The ground colour of those laid in trees and bushes is often some shade of green or blue marked with brown, red, or black, e.g. Thrushes, Finches, Crows. (b) When the nest is placed very low down amongst herbage, or when it is placed in a covered site, the ground colour of the eggs is: paler, and so are the markings, which are sometimes greenish, ¢.g. Redbreast, Wagtail, Whitethroat; but not so the Pipits. (c) When exposed to some extent on the ground they are generally clay-colour, or brown, or greenish brown, spotted and blotched with a darker shade, or even with black, e.g. the Lark, Lapwing, Curlew, Gulls. (d) Certain birds, as Ducks, Partridge, Grebes, cover their eggs when they leave the nest. Such eggs are usually white or of a pale tint. This might be expected, as the protection of colour is in such cases unnecessary. (ec) Large birds which are able to defend themselves may be expected to be capable of keeping their eggs safe from the attacks of Crows, &c. Swans and Cormorants will come under this head. II. Birds which nest in holes nearly always have white eggs, e.g. Swift, Woodpecker, Kingfisher, Puffin, Petrel. But very small birds so nesting generally lay white eggs speckled with red. The only exceptions which occur to me are the Wheatear, Redstart, Starling, Jackdaw, and Chough. The first two of these have already been dealt with. I have no personal know- ledge of the Chough. But there is some reason to suppose that nesting in holes is a comparatively recent habit both with the Starling and the Jackdaw. In 1887 I found two Starlings’ nests which were “open.”’ One was at the top of a spruce-fir, built upon an old Wood-Pigeon’s nest; the other was inivy. Perfectly fresh-laid Starlings’ eggs differ very much, varying from a decided blue to nearly white. Jackdaws sometimes lay their eggs in hollow trunks, where they can be seen from above. COLOURATION OF BIRDS AND THEIR EGGS. 1738 Moreover, I have a note to the effect that near Kyam, in 1887, some Jackdaws were nesting among the branches, after the man- ner of Rooks. In the ‘Naturalists’ Journal’ (vol. vu. No. 72, June, 1898) a similar occurrence is recorded. III. When birds build covered nests the eggs are white, spotted finely with red, black, or brown, e.g. the Wren’s, Chiffchaff’s, Swallow’s; or pure white, e.g. the Dipper’s. The House- and Tree-Sparrows are exceptions. IV. Nocturnal birds lay white eggs, as the Short-eared Owl ; or nearly white, as the Nightjar. Protective colouring is not needed in such cases, as the birds sit on their eggs throughout the day. V. The eggs of the Accipitres are safe under the parental guardianship. ‘They are pure white, white slightly spotted with red, or boldly blotched with red, or in some cases the ground colour is entirely hidden by the overlying red. Here again the exceptions to the rule present great difficulties. Some of them are interesting enough to have attracted the atten- tion of Dr. Wallace and Prof. Poulton. (a) All the breeding habits of the Cuckoo are strange and abnormal. Until more is known about them we cannot hope for a satisfactory explanation of the variability of its eggs. (b) It is a surprising fact that the Wood-Pigeon, which makes an open nest, lays pure white eggs. Dr. Wallace* and Prof. Poulton} give the following explanation:—They suggest that the egg is white as a protection from below ; that the Wood- Pigeon builds a flimsy wicker nest, through the bottom of which the eggs can be seen; but that, being white, they are incon- spicuous against the blue sky. [Dr. Wallace expresses it rather differently. After remarking that light may be seen through the nest from below, he says :—“‘ It is a difficult matter to discover, from beneath, whether there are eggs in the nest or not, while they are well hidden by the thick foliage above.’] It seems hardly possible that this is the true explanation. Wood-Pigeons’ nests are not always of the wicker type; and, if itis an advantage * ‘Darwinism,’ p. 213. + ‘Colours of Animals,’ p. 62; cf. also Beddard’s ‘ Animal Coloration.’ pi its. 174 THE: ZOOLOGIS?, for the eggs to be unnoticeable from below, the natural course for the birds to take would be to build solid-bottomed nests always. Nor has it yet been proved that a white egg és less conspicuous from below than a coloured one. Mr. Beddard has shown that white is not invisible from below,—that a snowflake, when seen against a blue sky, looks black. If the colours of eggs have any meaning, they are obviously a protection against marauders above the nest. It is not usual for eggs laid in open nests to be white, even when dense foliage overhangs them. The eggs being white and the nest so flimsy, it might be supposed that until recently these birds built in holes. But the fact that by far the majority of the members of this great family (Columbide) —which embraces some three hundred species— does not nest in holes is a very strong argument against such a theory. These birds lay but two eggs, and often begin to sit as soon as the first egg is laid. In this way the need of colour would to some extent be obviated. (c) Lastly, we must turn our attention to the Alcide. The eggs of the Common Guillemot display an extraordinary variety in ground colour and markings. Dr. Wallace* and Mr. Dixont suppose that this is due to their being laid on inaccessible cliffs, and thus completely protected from enemies. [If this is the correct explanation, it seems strange that the eggs should be coloured atall. Buta visit to Flamborough Head in the breeding season will show that these eggs are not safe from all marauders. These cliffs are tenanted by Jackdaws as well as by Guillemots. And that the former have a taste for the eggs of the latter is evident, for the shells of sucked eggs may be seen lying about on the top of the cliffs. Prof. Poulton { believes that a more feasible explanation is that all this variety of colouring enables ‘“ each bird to know its own eggs.”’ But, if this is necessary in the case of Guillemots’ eggs, how do Terns and Gulls, which nest together in such dense numbers, dispense with a similar provision ? Most of the eggs of any one species are very much alike, and are so difficult to see that the greatest care must be taken by anyone visiting their nesting stations in order to avoid treading on them. * ¢ Darwinism,’ pp. 214, 215. + Seebohm’s ‘ British Birds,’ vol. ii. p. xxvii. t ‘Colours of Animals,’ p. 213. COLOURATION OF BIRDS AND THEIR EGGS. 175 The Razorbill also lays its eggs on precipitous rocks, but they are placed under cover. Though the markings vary to some extent, the ground colour is generally white, sometimes brown. ‘he Puffin’s eggs are laid far down a hole, and they are pure white. When they are fresh and clean faint traces will be found of those bold markings which are so common on the eggs of the Alcide. Do not these suggest that long ago the Puffin laid coloured eggs in the open, after the manner of its cousin the Guillemot at the present day ? I hope that these remarks will draw out criticisms and observations from your readers, and that thus the difficulties of the subject may to some extent be cleared up. 176 THE ZOOLOGIST. WHAT IS THE REASON OF THE GREAT VARIATION IN CUCKOOS’ EGGS ?* By Dr. E. Rey, Lerezie. Translated and communicated by W. Wrtis Buapen, Vice-President, North Staffordshire Field Club. Amone the many attempted explanations of the great variation to be found in the colouring and markings of Cuckoos’ eggs, the application of the Darwinian theory of selection seems at first sight to be most feasible. But on closer examination it does not appear to be in accordance with many well-founded facts. This theory supposes that those female Cuckoos whose eggs most resemble those of the nest chosen, have greater chance for the preservation of their offspring than others, whose eggs would be more liable to be destroyed by the foster-parents. As it may moreover be presumed that their daughters would lay eggs similarly coloured, and would make the same selection of nests for their offspring as their mothers, the consequence would be a preponderance of females whose eggs are similar to the nest eggs in colouring, whereas the other class would become more rare, and finally disappear. I have already demonstrated in my work on the Cuckoo, and am now able to confirm by material at my disposal, and by nearly 2000 examples, that eggs matching those of the foster-parents are only to be found in a small percentage of cases. Those who only take into consideration the few examples in which Cuckoos’ eggs are coloured like the nest-eggs, would alone venture to ask that the theory of selection should be accepted ; whereas others, who consider the question in its entirety, will reject it as untenable, as far as the Cuckoo is concerned. If the resemblance of its eggs to those of the foster-parents were such an advantage to the Cuckoo it would not be found as an exception to the rule, but would, on the contrary—at least here in the neighbourhood of Leipzig—be very perceptible in connection with Lanius collurio, most Cuckoos’ eggs (84 per cent.) being found in the nests of these birds; of 282 Cuckoos’ eggs found in the nests of the Red-backed Shrike, only sixteen, about 5 per cent, were of the type of Lanius eggs. * « Was ist der Grund fiir die grosse Variabilitit der Kuckuckseier? ”’ Ornith. Monatschrifte des deutschen Vereins z. Schutze der Vogelwelt. Jahrgang 1895. Nr1l. VARIATION IN CUCKOOS’ EGGS. | 177 Quite irrespectively of this, how would it be possible to explain, by means of the theory of selection, the fact that there are a great number of Cuckoos’ eggs which have a particular type of colouring not to be found in any eggs known to us, and others marked like eggs with ‘which eggs of the Cuckoo are seldom placed. We must therefore cast about for another explanation. Ina number of species of birds we see that the eggs differ considerably in colour and marks when they come from places far apart. To quote a few examples: eggs of Phylloscopus trochilus from Lapland are, contrary to those found in our parts, marked with dark spots, so dark as almost to be mistaken for eggs of Phylloscopus rufus. Again, whilst spotted eggs of the Redstart are rare here, examples are frequent in high northern latitudes; and whereas Caccabis sawxatilis lays distinctly spotted eggs in the alpine regions, its eggs from Greece are monochromous, or but very slightly marked. Now, as Wickmann has demonstrated that eggs take their colour from the transposing products of the blood, so must we lead back the varieties of colouring to the variety of these transposing products, and the latter again to the chemical or physical properties of the blood. We must look upon food as the chief cause of the difference in the formation of the blood, for according to its different chemical properties it will produce lesser or greater variety in the composition of the blood. We must therefore take, as the cause of the variation in the colouring of the eggs of the same bird from different places, the difference of food according to the place of their residence. Not that different nourishment would produce an immediate change in the colour of the eggs—for we know that every female bird will, during its whole life, unless pathological changes should occur, lay the same, or at least very similarly, coloured eggs—but the difference in food will, in the young female bird, whilst the body is developing, have an abiding influence upon its blood-forming organs, and determine the colour of her future eggs. It is clear that apparently similar food can produce different results, for we often see that insects and larve, externally alike, have, chemically, quite different bodies; and, again, quite distinct insects are chemically alike. If, on the one hand, the variation in the eggs of different female birds of the same species is occasioned in this way, the law of heritage confines it on the other. We see that Shrikes and Pipits lay very different eggs, but notwithstanding the number of varieties there is a decided type running through them all. Here we see a certain inherited resemblance, whereas in other cases the eggs are so completely distinctive as to be unrecognizable. If we apply this to the Cuckoo, we are not astonished if almost every bird lays differently coloured eggs, because the difference of food arising from the various foster-parents, according to their kind and individuality, pro- Zool, 4th ser. vol. III., April, 1899. N 178 THE ZOOLOGIST. duces a much larger variety than in other birds. And if we further apply to the Cuckoo the law of heritage, over and above the difference in food, the variation in the eggs would be enormously increased. Considering the manifold variety thus produced, it is quite possible that the eggs of the Cuckoo should assume a likeness to the eggs of other birds, even of such as it does not choose to lay with. We must also admit that the principle that the food of many birds, though it may not affect their own eggs, has its influence on the colouring of the eggs of their offspring, can also be applied to the Cuckoo, in the case also when it is nurtured for generations in the nests of the same species of birds whose eggs do not vary much. We can, with some amount of certainty, assume that our Cuckoo, before he became a nesting parasite, laid monochrome blue eggs, as we see now in its near relatives the North American Coccyzus americanus and C. erythro- phthalmus, which have already occasionally begun to give up rearing their own young. ‘The blue eggs of the Cuckoo, exclusively found in the nests of the Nedstart, which also lays blue eggs, may be traced to similarity of food and inheritance. Ce LIS?) NOTES AND QUERIES. MAMMALIA. CARNIVORA. Habitat of the Thick-tailed Mungoose (Cynictis penicillata).— According to the ‘Royal Natural History’ the Thick-tailed Mungoose inhabits the Cape Colony. Nothing is said about other parts of South Africa. As far as my own personal experience goes, C. penicillata also inhabits both the Orange Free State and the Transvaal. I have often seen and shot the animals on the Free State flats some miles north of Bloemfontein. Some time back I shot two examples of the same species about twenty miles north of Johannesburg, in the Transvaal. They are somewhat difficult to shoot, but, being spurred into a great desire of obtaining one for identification by the statement in the ‘ Royal Natural History,’ I finally managed to shoot the two individuals above mentioned. I have their skins before me now. ‘The one is of a brilliant orange drab on the back, fading into light yellowish grey on the flanks and under parts. The fur is finely speckled owing to the hairs being ringed with alternate black and amber-brown. The tips of the hairs are amber, and the roots white. ‘The other example is of a greyish yellow colour, much lighter than the former. The fore feet of both have five toes, and the hinder ones only four. The tail is bushy, and has a white tip. There can be no doubt as to their identity. The question is, How far north do they extend ? That I cannot say as yet.—Atwin C. Haacner (Dynamite Factory, P. O. Modderfontein, Transvaal, South Africa). [I procured a specimen of the Meer-Kat (Cynictis penicillata) near Pretoria in 1890, and recorded the same in my ‘ Naturalist in the Trans- vaal,’ p. 159 (1892). This specimen I placed in the British Museum, which, Mr. W. E. de Winton informs me, is “still the only specimen we have with locality north of the Colony.”—Eb. | White Stoat.—In the last issue of ‘The Zoologist’ (ante, p. 181), I observe the record of a white Stoat (Mustela erminea) from the North of England. About the 21st of November last I received a similar specimen from West Somersetshire (near Watchet), and, considering the mildness of the weather at that time, I was surprised at its appearance. It was pure white, except some regular light brown markings over each eye, looking N 2 180 THE ZOOLOGIST. much like eyebrows, and, of course, the usual black tail-tuft.—H. W. Marspen (40, Triangle, Clifton). UNGULATA. Zebra-Horse Hybrids. —I have just read, in the ‘ Bulletin de la Société Nationale d’Acclimatation de France’ (October, 1898), the translation of the article published in ‘ The Zoologist’ (1898, p. 49) on the hybrids of the Burchell Zebra and mare by Prof. J. Cossar Ewart. I have perused this memoir with much interest, because you will see by the publications I forward that I elso have crossed the Zebra and mare. Until now I believed that I was the only one who had obtained this production, but by the article in question I see that I am not; and besides, my first production was born three and a half months after that of Prof. Ewart’s—my first, Sordello, being born Dec. 5th, 1896, and Prof. Ewart’s Romulus Aug. 12th, 1896. It is very curious to note that neither of us has known of the other’s writings and ideas, yet have both carried into execution these experiments within a few months of each other. At this moment Prof. Ewart is the first in Europe, and myself the first in America, who have obtained these hybrids by crossing the Zebra with the mare, or, rather, other writings on the subject are unknown to me. I send you some photographs of my first two hybrids, but have not yet any of the others; but when I have will forward them to you. Iam writing also to Prof. Ewart, and sending the same documents and photographs. La Société Nationale d’Acclimatation de France has published, in its Bulletin of October, 1897, my account of ‘ Le Croisement du Zébre avec la Jument.” Dr. Fr. Steinriede published, in the ‘ Landwirtschaftliche Presse’ of Berlin (Oct. 15th, 1898), an article with illustrations made from photo- graphs of Zebra-Horse hybrids which I sent him. The ‘Journal l’Eleveur de Paris,’ No. 726 (Nov. 27th, 1898), published a translation of a communication on the subject which I contributed to the ‘Societé Nationale d’Agriculture Brésilienne.’ — Baron DE Parana (Porto Novo do Cunha, Rio de Janeiro). AVES. Nesting of the Mistle-Thrush, — This bird (ZTurdus viscivorus) is much more common here than it used to be thirty years ago. On April 26th, 1888, I found a nest with four eggs, and the bird sitting on it, ina hole in the stone pier of a field-gate near Clogher Head, Co. Louth. The gate was often used, and the bird was sitting within six inches of it as it swung. ‘There were plenty of high hedges and trees quite close. I con- sider this the most extraordinary and abnormal place I ever found a nest NOTES AND QUERIES. 181 in. The year before (1887) I found a nest in the fork of a tall oak, and climbed up to it, as I wanted the eggs. It was ready for laying, but.empty. I did not see the birds, but evidently they saw me, for two days afterwards they had moved the nest bodily to the next tree, where the hen was sitting on it. I was so touched by their intelligence that I left them in peace. On July 24th, 1892, I saw a curious Mistle-Thrush. It was pale dove-colour (a very pale grey) all over, and shone like silver in the sun. It was with about thirty others, and they stayed about the house for several days. I often got within forty yards of it, and watched it through a powerful glass. Its eyes seemed to be red. I have often seen Mistle-Thrushes, and heard them sing, in Fitzwilliam Square, Dublin, a somewhat curious habitat for such a wild bird.—G. H. Pentianp (Black Hall, Drogheda). ‘Male Blackbird storing Seeds at Nest.—On March 21st I found, in a hedgerow, the nest of a Blackbird (Turdus merula), containing three eggs. On March 25th I again visited the nest, when I found the female incubating, and the side of the nest piled with a quantity of seeds, some of which I enclose for identification. On the 28th of the month I watched the nest from behind an apple tree, and saw the male bird come and go repeatedly, each time depositing these seeds, which are about the size of the half of a very small pea. His intentions were exceedingly charitable, and I should very much like to know if it is a common occurrence for the male bird of this species to feed the female during incubation, as I have never before observed him in this act.—Sraniey Lewis (Wells, Somerset). [The seeds are those of the common ivy (Hedera Heliw).—Ep.] Blackbird’s mimicking Notes. — I can corroborate Mr. Davenport’s instance of the Blackbird (Turdus merula) imitating the Curlew. I find in my notes that on April 14th, 1892, I heard a Blackbird imitating a Curlew’s whistle so perfectly that it at first completely deceived me. — G. H. Pentranp (Black Hall, Drogheda). Green Woodpecker in Ireland (Correction).—In Swann’s ‘ Handbook of British Birds,’ 1896, it is stated that this species (Gecinus viridis) had only twice been obtained in Ireland previously to October, 1889, “ when an extensive immigration occurred.” Again, Aflalo’s ‘Sketch of the Natural History of the British Islands,’ 1898, speaks of a ‘recent immigration into Ireland, where, previous to the appearance of the last edition of Mr. Saunders’s admirable ‘ Manual,’ but two examples had been recorded.” The above immigration never occurred, and neither edition of Mr. Saunders’s ‘ Manual’ is responsible for such a statement, as regards the Green Woodpecker. There were, however, ten Great Spotted Woodpeckers shot in Ireland in October, 1889, to January, 1890, inclusive: six in Ulster, 182 THE ZOOLOGIST. two in Leinster, and two in Munster. This is referred to by Mr. Saunders. —R. J. Ussoir (Cappagh, Co. Waterford). Crosshill in North Wales.—Mr. Newstead (cf. ante, p. 28) will be interested to hear that two or three pairs of Crossbills (Lowia curvirostra) nested at Penmaenmawr, North Wales, in 1890 or 1891. I have lost my notes of the occurrence, but it was subsequent to 1889. I did not see them nesting myself, but my sister used to go and watch them, and [ after- wards examined their nests. They were in some larch trees at a cottage in the lane which leads up to the Green Gorge, a well-known walk in Penmaenmawr. They were rather far out on the branches, and twelve or fourteen feet from the ground. My sister is a very good observer of birds, and she described them to me so minutely that there could be no doubt in the case. They were very tame, and she used to watch them from a dis- tance of twenty or thirty feet, and could see their twisted beaks quite plainly —G. H. Pentianp (Black Hall, Drogheda). The Eggs and Nest of the Moorhen.—I should like to add my mite of evidence to that of those who have already given theirs in favour of the view that the Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) does not, as a rule, cover her eggs when leaving the nest. I have seen very many nests of the species under consideration, and I have never yet seen one in which the eggs had been intentionally covered over, and indeed I will go farther, and say that I have never met any collector or ornithologist who had. That the bird may occasionally resort to this means of protection is of course possible, but it is not its regular habit to do so, a fact about which the vast majority of observers seem quite agreed. — K. Huruisrone Jones, H.M.S. ‘ Repulse,’ Channel Squadron. Little Tern (Sterna minuta) in Ireland.—So far as I know there are only two regular breeding places of this bird on the east coast of Ireland, but in 1897 seven or eight pairs bred at the north side of the mouth of the Boyne, within eighty yards of the second hole of our golf-links. The caddies unfortunately found them out, and took, I fear, most of their eggs, for last year they did not reappear. I wonder if they went on to the Isle of Man, and formed Mr. Ralfe’s colony (cf. ante, p. 32)? In the same year a Ringed Plover chose to lay her eggs near the twelfth hole of our links, and right in the course. Every ball from the twelfth tee whizzed over her head, and every player and caddy used to havea look at her four pretty eggs, but everyone spared them, and she hatched them out all right. There is a little islet in Carlingford Lough, called Green Island, where a few Arctic Terns breed. In 1886 I saw a couple of Lesser Terns (Sterna minuta) there, but could not find their eggs. In 1887 there were none to be seen. —G, H. Pentvanp (Black Hall, Drogheda). NOTES AND QUERIES. 183 Songs of Birds affected by Weather.—I was much interested in one of the Rev. W. Warde Fowler’s observations in the March issue of ‘ The Zoologist ’ (ante, p. 135), for the somewhat quaint reason that it is irrecon- cilable with my own experience. I am such an admirer of Mr. Fowler’s books that I feel a diffidence in taking exception to any of his statements, especially as he is known to be such a close and diligent observer of birds; but I am far from concurring with him in the opinion that “ our resident species are not affected in any degree by the temperature in regard to singing.” Speaking generally, for about a month previously to March 20th, Blackbirds, Song-Thrushes, Mistle-Thrushes, Starlings, Redbreasts, Hedge- Accentors, House-Sparrows, and Wrens had combined every single morning to enchant my ears with a most delightful vernal concert, Not only was their minstrelsy resonant and prolonged from daybreak until the morning was well advanced, but again, as the gloaming drew on, sundry of the eight species mentioned above would musically assert their claims to notice. On the morning of March 20th sixteen degrees of frost were registered here, and on the three following mornings upwards of twenty degrees were registered, snow falling on the Thursday (March 23rd), the day on which I am penning these lines. During these four days, neither in the morning nor in the evening has there been any singing whatsoever on the part of any one of the species, and the contrast, after the flow of song that was so strenuously maintained day after day during the balmy weather associated with the preceding weeks, is naturally brought out into the very boldest relief. Nor, I must admit, is this my most recent experi- ence at variance with what has gone before. I still see all the species I have enumerated round about the house, but they appear in no mood to sing, nor dothey. Whereof the cause? Surely, surely, the great fall in the temperature.—H. S. Davenport (Melton Mowbray). The Covering of Eggs by Nesting Birds.—In connection with the discussion that has been carried on in these ** Notes and Queries” as to the covering up of eggs by nesting birds, I may mention that I have noticed this done by Cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo). Inthe end of May, 1895, I visited a colony of these birds on an islet off the coast of Sutherland. I took a photograph of a group of three nests which were placed side by side on the cliff. When we first approached the spot the birds flew off from the nests, leaving the eggs exposed to view; but, on returning to the same spot half an hour afterwards, after exploring the rest of the island, we found that in two cases the eggs had been covered up with reeds and grass, evidently with the intention of shielding them from observation.—H. C. Monro (Stratfield Saye, Hants). Destruction of Norfolk Birds: a Rejoinder.—In ‘The Zoologist’ for March (ante, p. 114), I notice the following paragraph in connection with 184 _. THE ZOOLOGIST. the increased scarcity of certain species of birds in the “ Broads ” district : —‘“ To say nothing of what has been done to compass their destruction by a well-known dealer in birds’ eggs in the West of England.” As Mr. Gurney has since stated that this refers to me, I cannot allow a statement calculated to bring me into contempt with the better class of naturalists to remain uncontradicted. Of the six or seven species tabulated as having decreased so much, I have never asked for or received a single egg from East Anglia, except of the Bearded Tit. Of this species I did obtain a large number in one year (about 1885), but far more were sent me than I asked for or desired.. I wrote to a correspondent in Norfolk for “a few sets,” to which he replied by sending a large consignment, and though I wrote him at once to stop collecting, the birds must have been so common that even in the time occupied by exchanging letters he got a lot more. During the last ten years I have had almost no eggs from this district—possibly thirty or forty a year—comprising usually one, two, or three (three only one year) sets of Bearded Tits, and the rest Water Rails or a few common things. I was once offered a clutch of Garganeys, which I did not buy. These are the facts; I think any remark of mine is needless. — H. W. MarspeEn (40, Triangle, Clifton). . |No name was mentioned in the disputed statement of Mr. Gurney, who, however, has since frankly owned that he referred to Mr. Marsden. Under these circumstances, and at the request of both Messrs. Gurney and Marsden, the above note appears, though it is of a more personal than zoological character. This discussion is now considered as closed in these pages. —EHp.] ENS CPA. Great Wood-boring Wasp (Sirex gigas) in Ireland.—I should be glad to learn if these insects are on the increase throughout the country. They first appeared here in 1893 or 1894, and now every fallen fir tree in my woods and nearly-every paling and gate-post is riddled by them. I watched a female boring into a larch-post last summer for fully ten minutes, a most curious sight. She stood up on the tips of her toes, and stuck out her ovi- positor at right angles to her body and into the bark of the post. Then she wriggled and worked very hard, but did not revolve as I expected she would, as the ovipositor has a regular screw like an auger at the end. I was foolish enough to grow impatient and catch her before she finished the operation.—G. H. Pentianp (Black Hall, Drogheda). ( 185 ) NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. In the Australian Bush and on the Coast of the Coral Sea, being the Experiences and Observations of a Naturalist in Australia, New Guinea, and the Moluccas. By Ricuarp Semon. Mac- millan & Co., Limited. | Tuts is a very welcome translation of the itinerary and biological observations of a naturalist in—zoologically speaking —some of the most interesting regions of the world. Of the Malay Archipelago we have now a charming literature, which, we might say, was begun by Wallace, and has been continued since the publication of his well-known eastern travels. Of Australia we would fain know more. Its natural history early incited Bennett and Gould; Lumholtz has given us a good book; Saville Kent’s recent work is well known; but the subject is far from exhausted. As Mr. Semon observes, Australia to the zoological explorer “ will prove Eldorado, unequalled by anything else. For so singular are some aspects of the flora and fauna of Australia as to justify one in opposing the Australian region to all the rest of the world, and practical reasons only have prevented men of science from arranging their hand-books accordingly.” One great advance in the study of zoology is emphasized by the object-lesson of the modern travelling naturalist. The general mise-en-scene of tropical forests and coral seas is now familiar to the ordinary tourist and the most cursory reader; while the pure and simple collector holds a subordinate place in the estimation of naturalists, for men now travel across the globe to study the life-history of one animal form. Embryological studies in oviparous-mammals, and marsupials, and, above all, the developmental history of the ‘‘ Australian lung-fish ” (Cera- todus forstert), which now inhabits but two small rivers of the east coast, were the main objects of Mr. Semon’s visit to the Australian continent; and of Ceratodus in these pages we learn much, and more will be found in the authors strictly scientific 186 THE ZOOLOGIST. publication, ‘Zoologische Forschungsreisen in Australien und dem malayischen Archipel.’ One observation on Termites is, however, too interesting to pass over. Our author was molested by the inhabitants of a big ant-hill near his encampment, and ** strewed a handful of naphthalin crumbs all over the hill, in the certain expectation that this would occasion a general emigration.” Conquering disgust, the Termites removed these objectionable deposits from their habitation. Pieces of potassic cyanide were now tried, and the expectation was held that by the morning the place would be deserted by the ants and their belongings. ‘“‘ How astonished was I when I found the whole surface of the heap strewn with dead ants like a battle-field. The pieces of cyanide, however, had totally disappeared! More than one-half of the community had met death in this desperate struggle, but still the death-defying courage of the heroic little creatures had succeeded in removing the fatal poison, the touch of which must have been just as disagreeable to them as it was dangerous. ... Once removed from the heap, the poison had been well covered with leaves and pieces of wood, then interred, and thus prevented from doing further damage.” We have not space to follow Mr. Semon through the islands of the Malay Archipelago. As regards Celebes, he prefers the views of Max Weber to those of Wallace, and refuses to associate Celebes with the Australian region, believing its fauna to be an impoverished Oriental one, showing a strong Australian ad- mixture. The charm of these books lies in the philosophical treatment of natural history narrative, which not only gives us glimpses of exotic nature, but points to its signification. Cambridge Natural History. Vol. IX. Birds. By A. H. Evans, M.A. Macmillan & Co., Limited. 1899. We recently drew attention in these pages (1898, p. 510) to Mr. Beddard’s ‘ Structure and Classification of Birds,’ and if a companion volume is sought to be found to that work, Mr. Evans’s book should come under that designation. One supple- ments the other, and most naturalists will probably place them NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. 187 side by side on their book-shelves for handy reference, in days when a zoologist is expected to know everything about some- thing, and something about everything. ‘*TIn accordance with the scheme of the Series generally, the order followed runs from the lowest forms and the Ratite Birds upwards; the Carinate Birds being divided, after Dr. Gadow’s plan, into two Brigades or Main Sections, and these again into Legions, Orders, and so forth.” The contents of the book are practically an introduction to the birds of the world, and, although such encyclopedic completeness is impossible in a single volume, a distinct success has been achieved in referring to so many species within the confines of 587 pages. All these works have their strong points and their limitations. The first are found in the discriminative care by which a capable ornitholo- gist sifts and rejects recorded narratives; the second inevitably postulates that much is necessarily overlooked. We should have been glad to see under the subject ‘‘ Struthio camelus” some reference to Mr. Cronwright Schreiner’s communication on this bird which appeared in our pages in 1897, and which we have read elsewhere, and, have also been told, corrected some previous misconceptions. Nevertheless we are thankful for a book that tells us so much in a small space, and the evident thorough work of the author is supplemented by the proof-readings of Mr. Howard Saunders and Dr. R. B. Sharpe. One extract must be given ; it expresses a fundamental truth little regarded in current zoological philosophy :—‘“‘ It cannot be denied that Genera and Species are merely ‘ convenient bundles,’ and that divisions of either, if carried too far, defeat the object for which Classification is intended. Genera are only more distinct from Species, and Species from Races, because the inter- vening links have disappeared ; and, if we could have before us the complete series which, according to the doctrine of Evolution, has at some time existed, neither Genus nor Species would be capable of definition, any more than are Races in many cases; while the same remark will apply to the larger groups.” This might well become the esoteric faith of every describer and monographist ; most naturalists admit the truth of the doctrine, but specific and generic controversy is not yet a thing wholly of the past. 188 THE ZOOLOGIST. The Resources of the Sea, as shown in the Scientific Experiments to test the effects of Trawling and of the Closure of certain Areas off the Scottish Shores. By W.C. McIntosu, M.D , LL.D., F.R.S., &e. C.J. Clay & Sons. Tuts excellent contribution to the natural history of the sea is written to sustain a thesis, which is, that, granting man’s unfortunate agency in the extermination of many land animals, his influence on the resources of the sea is infinitely small, almost practically nil. Last year (Zool. 1898, p. 376) we had the pleasure of giving extracts from a lecture by the Professor on that subject, and this book is a demonstration and exempli- fication on that theme. It is pleasant to find this bracing optimism in relation to at least one of Nature’s realms. The enmity of the fisherman to the Star-fish, by “tearing them across the body before returning them to the water, only helped to increase their numbers, for each portion of the disc was re- generated and became a complete five-rayed Star-fish.”” In fact, ‘*the survey of the sea and its inhabitants, therefore, in the main, affords no grounds for pessimistic views, but, on the con- trary, conduces to reliance on the resources of nature (by which we mean Divine Providence) in this vast area.” ‘The deadly effects of the “trawl,’’ as we have read elsewhere, on adult Sponges, Zoophytes, Star-fishes, Crabs, and Shell-fishes on the sea bottom is stated to be compensated by the fact that their larve and young are pelagic, and quite beyond the reach of injury. Even the “crushing and division of Sponges is not followed by the death of all the fragments, and each of those which survives is capable of flourishing as an independent organism (not to allude to the liberation of ova which may happen to be present).’’ It seems very necessary to remember that there .is a surface as well as a bottom fauna, and that while we may bewail the action of the trawler on the latter, we must not overlook the action of screw-propellers, which must kill myriads of young, and destroy countless floating eggs. After all, our knowledge of even some of our common food-fishes is very incomplete. ‘‘ Why should we not be in a position to say, in this nineteenth century, that a fish, say, the Haddock, extends in great numbers from either hemisphere into the Atlantic, and, if NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. 189 so, whether the pigmy belt of the three-mile or even the thirteen- mile limit can have any more influence on this form than on the ever-abundant Herring?” In this able defence of the “‘ trawl,” we may realize what a destructive, though not altogether extermi- native agent it is; but beyond this the book is a welcome addition to a knowledge of the inhabitants of that most romantic and little-known region which we call the Sea. Des Hybrides a Vétat sauvage. Réegne Animal. (Classe des Oiseaux). Par ANDRE SucuEter. Lille: Bigot Fréres. Hysrivity is a problem which lies at the root of a philo- sophical conception of the much-used and much-vexed term “species.” We all agree that the various breeds of Fowls and Pigeons represent but one species, because we know their life- histories. But we describe new forms of animals received from abroad as species on the canon of what is understood as “ specific differences.” Hence philosophically we are wrong, and system- atically we are right, and the same practice and a similar rule are employed by naturalists throughout the animal kingdom. Even mankind have afforded the same problem, and from France also came a suggestive little book by Dr. Paul Broca, which was translated and published in London in 1864 under the title of ‘On the Phenomena of Hybridity in the Genus Homo.’ Mons. Suchetet has undertaken a great work, and if succeeding volumes are allied in size to this one devoted to birds, a colossal publication on the subject is assured. The limitations attached to the term “‘species”’ are apparent when our author remarks :— *“Nous avons substitué les mots ‘formes animales’ aux mots ‘especes animales,’ parce que notre embarras a été grand lorsqw il s’est agi de distinguer entre l’espece et la race (ou, pour mieux dire, entre l’espéce et la sows-espéce comme on fait emploi de ce mot en zoologie).”” ‘The introduction occupies no fewer than 118 pages, and is a valuable summary of most that has been written on the subject. In the ‘* Liste des Musées Publics et des Collec- tions Particuliéres dont les Directeurs ou les Propriétaires ont été assez gracleuX pour nous envoyer en communication,”’ we notice seventy-eight entries, the cosmopolitan character of which prove that the material has been widely sought; while the “ Liste 190 THE ZOOLOGIST. Alphabétique des Personnes avec lesquelles nous avons corres- pondu au sujet des Hybrides” is a most representative one, including many of our own contributors, some under a new appellation, as, for example, the Curator of the Leicester Museum, who appears as “‘ pasteur & Rotterdam (Hollande).” Neither time, trouble, nor expense has evidently been with- held in the production of this book, which incorporates a large amount of scattered information in a systematic and judicial manner, and will for a long time prove a recognized reference to a most important factor in zoological philosophy. A Dictionary of Bird Notes, to which is appended a Glossary of Popular, Local, and Old-fashioned Synonyms of British Birds. By Cuas. Lovis Herr. Jacksons’, Market Place, Brigg. In these pages (1897, p. 535) we published an announcement by Mr. Hett that he was preparing a Dictionary of the Call-notes of British Birds, and we have now received a tasteful and in- expensive book—interleaved for the record of observations by the reader—which may well find a place in the ornithological library. The method pursued is as follows :—Firstly, under ‘‘ Note-Bird” | an alphabetical list of the notes, with the name of the avian vocalist attached, is given, and then, under “ Bird-Note,” the arrangement is reversed. lHasy reference is thus afforded, and the equivalents of the sounds themselves will and must be judged by specialists in the appreciation and interpretation of bird-notes. The Glossary of Popular, Local, and Old-fashioned Names of British Birds is a most excellent and useful compilation, which should prevent many errors on the part of too hasty transcribers of observations, and prove a boon to puzzled readers of local notes. A List is given of the 376 Birds accepted as British by the Committee of the British Ornithologists’ Union in 1683, and also of the “Terms applied to Wild Fowl,” as, for example, “ Rure. ‘a hill of, several.” 3 ¢. isl) EDITORIAL GLEANINGS. WE have received the Annual Report and Transactions of the “ North Staffordshire Field Club ” for 1897-98. In Sectional Reports, and under Zoology, Mr. Masefield reports as follows :—* It is frequently said by our landowners who are Fox-hunters that Badgers kill or drive away Foxes. Now the Badger still survives in our county, as is shown by the frequent reports I receive from different localities of Badgers having been observed, dug out, or shot, and therefore I am glad to be able to state, on the authority of Mr. Heinman, of Porlock, who has had exceptional oppor- tunity of studying the ways of Badgers, that equally in Devonshire, Somersetshire, and Northamptonshire he ‘has constantly found full-grown Foxes and Badgers dwelling together in unity.’ This statement will, I trust, dispel the fears of Fox-hunters for ever, and should cause them to extend ‘ neutrality,’ at all events, to our local Badgers in future.” We are all cognisant that light attracts fishes as well as many other animals. We have been much interested in the accounts of the new French naval destroyer ‘ Gustave Zédé.’ Anything more unlikely to pro- duce a zoological observation than this proposed navy annihilator is difficult to imagine. Still, the unexpected always happens. We learn that the destructive powers of this new terror are limited, not alone by. naval science, but by natural causes, and by fish. ‘As for the telescopic mirror arrangement which was to enable her to direct her course from under water, it failed, not for one but for several reasons; while her ‘ electric eye, or searchlight, so far from enabling her to see anything ahead of her through the water, rather rendered the sea ahead more opaque, as it attracted shoals of fish, which hovered round the brilliant disc, like moths round a candle.” — Westminster Gazette. AT a meeting of the Zoological Society of London, held on Feb. 7th, Mr. G. E. H. Barrett-Hamilton read a paper on the Mice of St. Kilda, of which he recognized two species—Mus hirtensis, sp. nov., a repre- sentative of M. sylvaticus, and M. muralis, sp. nov., representing M. mus- culus. Both of these species showed good distinctive characters from their well-known prototypes. 192 THE ZOOLOGIST. AT at similar meeting, on March 7th, Mr. W. E. de Winton exhibited and made remarks upon the tail of a Common Fox (Canis vulpes), showing the gland on the upper surface covered with straight coarse hair, the exist- ence of which appeared to be little known. THE Annual Meeting of the Society for the Protection of Birds was held on Feb. 28th, Sir Edward Grey, M.P., in the chair. The Report, which was presented by Mr. Sharpe, chairman of the executive committee, stated that the total number of members is now over 20,000, and the branches number 152. The Society still continued its campaign against the wearing of Ospreys, but without apparently much effect, as in 1898 nearly 35,000 Birds of Paradise and 2200 packages of Osprey plumes were sold in six days atauction. With regard to Ospreys worn by the officers of certain regiments, a promise had been given by Mr. Brodrick that an effort will be made to find a substitute. Sir Edward Grey, in moving the adoption of the Report, said the Society had done much to awaken public opinion to the need of checking the wanton destruction of bird-life. But a wholesale destruction of foreign birds in the breeding season still went on, with a view to supplying ornaments for hats, which would necessarily lead to the extinction of certain species. People did not realize this. Considerable power had been given to county councils to protect bird-life, and they had responded very well, and in most cases had passed very satisfactory bye-laws. But the real difficulty was the enforcement of these rules. rs Ws have received from the “‘ Humanitarian League” a tractate on “ The Cost of a Seal-skin Cloak,” by Joseph Collinson. He who reads may literally sup on horrors as the callous destruction of these animals is detailed. Allowing, however, for all exuberant animal sympathy, and offending no “ philistine ” with the introduction of a new “fad,” we wust agree with much that is here written. The writer pithily remarks :—* It is a remarkable fact that during the whole of the time that the Anglo- American controversy raged over the Behring Straits Seal question, not one word should have been said on behalf of the Seals themselves. The flood of talk swept on; there was a great deal said about ‘ rights —every right, indeed, was abundantly discussed except the right of the Seals, if not to live their lives in their own way, at least to humane treatment when the time comes round to kill them. The horrible tortures inflicted on these helpless animals to provide mankind with Seal-skin were treated as if they were entirely immaterial.” . THE ZOOLOGIST No. 695.—May, 1899. EARLY SPRING MIGRATIONS. By Joun Corpeavux, F.R.G.S., M.B.O.U. THE spring movements, or the passing out, of birds such as winter in these islands, as all observers on the east coast are aware, is far less in evidence than are those great and continuous inrushes in the autumn, extending over days, weeks, and months, and arresting attention by their very magnitude and persistence. In the vernal movement, or emigration, there is rarely anything to attract notice, for it seldom happens that flights of birds are seen actually leaving the shore; all the chief phenomena probably occurring in the night time, or at such a height as to be invisible to our eyes. That great movements are in progress is suggested by the larger flights of various species which in the early spring con- gregate in the coast districts—here one day and gone the next— and having their places taken by other flocks presumably coming from more inland localities, all bent on leaving the country; for itis now a proved fact that, as a rule, birds emigrate from the same section of coast as witnessed their Be tbe ice only in the reverse direction. In this north-east corner of Lincolnshire, bordering the sea, the most obvious and perhaps the best marked spring move- ments are 1n connection with the Thrushes (T'urdus). By the end of February, excepting such as are resident and nesting, the Zool. 4th ser. vol. III., May, 1899. O 194 THE ZOOLOGIST. immigrant Mistletoe-Thrushes (increasing numbers of which annually arrive every autumn) have taken their departure. Old cock Blackbirds begin to swarm in coast hedgerows, and in fact in every tall rough fence and coppice for miles inland, till we are amazed at their astonishing plenty and the facilities offered for the “four-and-twenty Blackbirds all baked in a pie.” These Blackbirds, also the Thrushes which move later, do not appear to congregate into flocks on departing, but gradually thin off and disappear from their temporary retreats as the spirit moves them. This, however, is not the case with the northern Thrushes —Fieldfares and Redwings. Both are gregarious, and the former pre-eminently so; for days before setting off, Fieldfares sit in great flights in the middle of pastures, or crowd the summits of lofty trees within sound of the surf. Wild by nature and noisy to a degree, their harsh “yack-chuck-chuck” is about the most familiar of the bird sounds in the marshes. This mild winter has been very favourable for them with the abundant crop of hips and haws, yet with all this abundance neither young nor old have forgot the track of the Norway wind and the path to the summer home. Their going out is a long and protracted busi- ness, often not completed, although it begins early, before the middle or end of May. Redwings—most plentiful during this winter—are in a degree less gregarious, but they have much the same habits as their congeners, and leave at the same period as do the emigrating Thrushes (7'. musicus), and they make a much more rapid and complete work of it than the Fieldfares, for we shall not find a Redwing after March, or middle of April at the latest, in the park-lands, paddocks, or meadows bordering the streams, where they have been hopping all the winter. It is remarkable, considering the millions of Larks which for weeks and months pour on to the east coast in autumn from early in August to Christmas, so little is known of their emigra- tion. Such, however, is the case; they succeed in slipping off quietly and unobserved, and probably, as in autumn, in straggling companies, and at night. Larks, however, do not always adopt open order on their migrations, and I have known them, under certain meteorological conditions, approach the coast in densely packed flocks like clouds, and hundreds of yards in extent. EARLY SPRING MIGRATIONS. 195 Immigrating Lapwings, on first coming to land, sit for a time very closely packed where they happen to alight, as if comparing notes of their passage; and I have often noticed that before leaving their winter quarters they come together in the same way, covering the land like a black sheet. Grey Crows have for weeks (March 24th) shown signs of leave-taking, and now scarcely any of the many hundreds can be seen in their winter haunts, or on the Humber tide-slobs. Black Carrion Crows move about the same time, and they are very numerous here in winter. I know of one small wood where about two hundred have come in each night to roost. Golden-crested Wrens are always in evidence about the last week in March, not showing in the thousands of autumn immi- gration, but two and three together, and scattered all about the country. When delayed in departure by unfavourable weather conditions, I have known them accumulate in great numbers in the Flamborough hedgerows. I often wonder what becomes of the Redbreasts which in October come in thousands at the same time as the Gold-crests. Robins which we see at low water skulking amidst blackened timbers of ancient wrecks miles from the shore—Robins in scores on the bleak wind-swept fitties sheltering amongst sea-plants, or on the marram-grown dune—Robins again in hundreds preening and sunning on the lee side of storm-clipt hedgerows, so numerous that on dull autumn days the dark strip of fence is bright as a flower-bank with the gleam of so many chestnut-red spots. Indications of the spring migration of Redbreasts are few; possibly they may return to their European quarters by another route. At Heligoland during the first part of April they are in the height of the movement. Woodcocks and Gold-crests (Woodcock pilots) are fellow- travellers in autumn, and on the move at the same time in spring from the middle to the end of March, when the former approach the east coast and appear in the covers. Peregrines in pairs move northward along the coast in March. Greenfinches, Chaffiinches, Twites, and Yellowhammers, par- ticularly the latter, come in great flocks in oat-seed time, but are quickly gone, often remaining but a few hours. 0 2 196 THE ZOOLOGIST. Many Grey-Geese were observed by the coastguard passing over North Cotes on Feb. 10th and 11th. About the same date Golden Plovers were singing their spring song, one of the most charming sounds in nature, always reminding me of some of the flute-like notes of a Blackbird. Resident Starlings are now (March 24th) busy at their nesting quarters; at least a dozen pairs in the ivy of this house. Tens of thousands, however, of the foreign purple-headed birds continue each afternoon to fly over the grounds to roost in a blackthorn cover in the marsh. They are late emigrants, and will probably not altogether disappear before April is well on. I saw the Gold-crest here on the 24th, and a Woodcock the same day. On the 25th many Golden Plovers, several black- breasted, and the remainder more or less in transition. In meadow lands and pastures extraordinary numbers of Fieldfares and a few Redwings. The great severity of the weather since March 17th has probably retarded and thrown back any migra- tory movements on their parts, hence this great accumulation in our coast district. Further Notes on Spring Migration. On the night of Feb. 7th to 8th, Larks, Thrushes, and Red- wings beat about the lantern of Flamborough Lighthouse, and again, mixed with Starlings, on the night of 14th to 15th. Night of April 4th to 5th a Water-Rail was killed against the lantern; also two Golden-crested Wrens flew against the glass— this was just after midnight. The same night (4th to 5th) a remark- ably fine heavy Woodcock flew against one of the telegraph wires near Filey Station, and all but decapitated itself, the head being only attached to the body by a loose fragment of skin. The -Water-Rail which I obtained at the lighthouse on the 6th was bruised down one side, and appeared to have struck sideways. These notes are interesting, as they indicate the time these birds were on the move and actually leaving the country. Between April lst and 4th many Wheatears passed north, apparently touching the most prominent positions along the coast. ‘They were, between these dates, seen in some number at the Spurn, Flamborough Head, Filey Brigg, and Scarborough EARLY SPRING MIGRATIONS. 197 Castle Rock. In two of these places I did not see one on the 5th and 6th. Wheatears appeared much earlier on the west coast. Mr. G. H. Caton Haigh wrote to me:—‘ On the 21st (March) we had the heaviest snowstorm that has occurred here for years; in the afternoon the snow was eight inches deep. In the midst of this storm the first Wheatears appeared, four or five, all males; they frequented the seaweed-covered rocks in company with scores of Meadow-Pipits.”’ 198 THE ZOOLOGIST. ORIGINAL SKETCHES OF BRITISH BIRDS. By H. 8S. Davenport. Tue Rine-Ovser* (Turdus torquatus). My knowledge of this species has not been acquired to any exceeding extent in Leicestershire, though sundry authors in giving a list of the counties in which it has been known to breed do not exclude the shire which is chiefly famous for Fox-hunting. I have certainly met with the Ring-Ousel in the county on the spring and autumn migrations, but of course its true breeding places are the upland wastes and the wild and rocky districts in more mountainous parts of the country. Leaving the cultivated lowlands and the civilization of village communities behind me one April morning during the spring of 1894, I started on a nesting tramp into the mountains between Festiniog and Dolgelly, my object being to spend an hour or so with the Ring-Ousel, and to get as far as Blaenlliw, a farm about five miles distant from the Llanuwchllyn end of Bala lake, tenanted by the kindest and most hospitable of people, and, what was infinitely more to my purpose, situated right in the heart of the mountains of North Wales—“ right away from every- where,” as it was succinctly described to me. It was a charming morning, and for the first mile my course lay by the side of the river Lliw, where I had occasional visions of Common Sand- pipers flitting to and fro, while here and there a Grey Wagtail, or a Pied Flycatcher, or a Dipper caught my eye. After passing the gold-mine, Carn Dochan by name, I began to rise the high ground, and a walk of another mile or so brought me nearer to the haunts of the Ring-Ousel, whose home in the summer is essentially a wild and romantic one. From the summit of the rock-strewn hill between Carn Dochan and Arenig a magnificent view of some of the surrounding country was unfolded to my gaze, while the Blackbird’s mellow notes, which I had listened * Qusel.’”’ This spelling is by request of Mr. Davenport.—Ep. ORIGINAL SKETCHES OF BRITISH BIRDS. 199 to only so recently and had easily identified amidst the general chorus, began at length to be replaced by those of the Ring- Ousel, and, though I am doubtless laying myself open to the charge of bad taste, I cannot say that I regretted the exchange. A shy bird I am inclined to call the Ring-Ousel, for it will fly from rock to rock, generally keeping at a respectful distance; but when the vicinity of its nest is invaded, temerity becomes a very strongly marked characteristic of the species. In common with the Blackbird, it possesses the habit of elevating its tail on alighting, but in my humble judgment its song bears a stronger resemblance to that of the Mistle-Thrush than to that of the Blackbird. I have been fortunate enough to hear the Ring-Ousel and Mistle- Thrush sing within a short range of each other, and, though it is always far from my wish to appear dogmatic, I cannot agree with those writers who rather liken the former’s song to that of the commoner species. The Ring-Ousel also possesses three or four piping, plaintive notes, pee-up, pee-up, pee-up, pee-up, quickly repeated; they sound inexpressibly weird and sad when heard under certain conditions, and are, I believe, the call-notes of the male. While uttering them the bird will not improbably be found perched low down on a rock, and remaining so still that, unless the listener has a first-rate eye, it will be very hard to catch a glimpse of the performer. The alarm-note is a hurried tac, tac, tac. A nest I found on the morning to which allusion has been made was placed on the ledge of a rock, and contained four eggs; they were greenish blue in ground colour, richly blotched and flecked with purplish brown. In fact, they were typical eggs of the species. Hard by was a Common Buzzard’s nest containing two fresh eggs. I had never considered the Ring-Ousel from an epicurean point of view until the autumn of 1894, when I formed one of a party Grouse-driving on the Stiperstones, a well-known stretch of rough and rocky moorland in Shropshire, when the bird that is so easily recognized by its conspicuous gorget was daintily served up as a second course one evening for my especial benefit. In my opinion it beats all the other members of the family Turdine in flavour, but is not comparable with either the Snipe or Land- Rail. I should add, however, that the bird I sampled was in 200 THE ZOOLOGIST. famous trim for the table, as it had been feeding on the cran- berries and bilberries which grow in profusion on the Stiper- stones range, and it was covered with fat. It had evidently pre- ferred the sweeter bilberry to the cranberry, as I made a note of on picking it up. I also found a nest of this species in the spring of 1894 on the rocky heights above Aberhirnant, Sir E. Buckley’s picturesque residence in Merionethshire; it contained a single much-incubated egg. Ring-Ousels are undoubtedly partial to rocky situations, and it 1s perhaps worthy of remark that just about the time when Fieldfares and Redwings are quitting our shores for northern climes the Ring-Ousels make their reappearance. The nest bears a striking resemblance to that of the Blackbird, as do some of the eggs to those of that species; but a combination of care and patience should always prevent any blundering in the matter of a correct identification of the same. THe WHEATEAR (Saxicola cnanthe). According to my observations, one of the earliest of the spring migrants to put in an appearance in this county (Leicestershire) is the Wheatear. I find on reference to notes extending over several years that the little Chiffchaff hunts it very closely, but in the matter of actual precedence, in the large majority of cases, the Wheatear is easily first. I have observed its sprightly form even before the middle of March in some seasons, and have been frequently struck with wonder at its comparative tameness on arrival in this country, allowing a very imminent approach as it does, and apparently courting close inspection. Invariably by itself when I have so observed it—for, like other migratory species, the males precede the females—it regards the intrusion of a visitor on its temporary halting ground with consummate indifference. I should here remark, however, that the grass pastures and tillage lands of High Leicestershire are little calculated to permanently attract such species as resort for breeding purposes to the downs and warrens and the wild, mountainous, and uncultivated districts of more southern counties. A favourite resting ground in the spring of the year with an odd Wheatear or so is a large rabbit-warren on the borders of my ——— —— ORIGINAL SKETCHES OF BRITISH BIRDS. 201 native village, and thither I generally betake myself in quest of the earliest arrival of this species. There is an old saying that spring has come when you can place your foot on five full-blown daisies in a cluster, but our feathered visitors, to my thinking, are the best harbingers of the glad time of the year; and whether it be sight of Wheatear or song of Chiffchaff, there is no doubting the eloquence of the reminder that the frosts and snows of winter are virtually a thing of the past. Wheatears only stay a few days on their first arrival in these parts, moving forward to their breeding quarters as soon as they have recuperated their exhausted strength. Yet they afford us more than a passing glimpse of them in September, and it is not at all uncommon when out Partridge-shooting to notice them on the fallows, or in fields where stones have been gathered together into little heaps. Where, however, in the spring time only a single bird had been noticed, in the autumn there would frequently be two of them together. I have only met with one instance of this species breeding in Leicestershire, and consider the fact of its having nested where it did most unusual. That Wheatears should repair to the rocky heights round about Bardon and Bradgate to rear their young does not surprise me in the least, for in such wild tracts they are quite in their element; but that a pair of these birds should have had recourse to a drain-pipe on the turnpike road in Skeffington parish, in which situation they built a nest in May, in the year 1875, and laid five eggs of a pale greenish blue speckled very distinctly with brown, was quite a novel experience. The eggs were slightly incubated when I found them, and the birds must have employed a vast amount of cunning to have escaped de- tection so long, as the drain-pipe was within but a short distance of the village school, and there are few boys who are not in- defatigable nest-hunters during their play-hours. This nest was constructed of pretty much the same materials as are to be found in the general run of Wheatears’ nests, the lining being of cow- hair, rabbits’ fur, and a large quantity of feathers; but the exterior was composed of fibrous roots, dried bents, moss, and hay, and it was bits of the latter protruding from the drain-pipe that first gave me the clue to the nest. Of course my suspicions had been previously aroused by seeing the birds in the locality. 202 THE ZOOLOGIST. It is very seldom that Wheatears perch on trees, but I have seen them do so, and they have not avoided the higher branches. The male bird sings very prettily, and it has often been my good fortune to hear it in the rock-strewn mountains of North Wales. The song consists of four or five rich, clear, mellow notes succeeded by an equal number of trilling ones, which might easily be mistaken for some of the tremulous strains of the Whinchat, though they are more musical and less harsh. It sings when stationary as well as in the air, and a pretty sight it is to watch it quit its perch on a rock, mount into the air after the manner of the Whitethroat, twist and jerk about, singing all the while, and then descend to its original starting point. It frequently runs two or three steps before taking wing, and when apprehensive of danger it repeats again and again what sounds in my ears like trz-wee, wee, trz-wee, wee. The bird is not un- common on the mountainous tracts of rocky moorland in North Wales, as I have already intimated, and a favourite place for its nest, according to my observations, 1s 1n a stone wall, though I have also met with nests in rabbit-burrows, as well as in the cavities beneath great boulders of rock. I found the species especially abundant on Lundy Island in the spring of 1897. Iam |. always glad to get a chauce of hearing a song which has been much vaunted by authors, though few birds are so speedily on the alert as Wheatears when they mark the approach of an intruder. The male bird, perched conspicuously on some rock or wall, is almost certain to catch the eye first, but probably, long before you have seen it, it has seen you, and telegraphed a warning note to its mate. It will fly about from boulder to boulder, out of sight one moment and reappearing the next; but do not be misled by an apparent indifference to your presence. ‘Though you may note it dart forth and catch an insect, it is all the while vigilant and suspicious to a degree, and though you may crouch in the bracken and keep watch for an hour, it has not forgotten, nor will you entrap it into overlooking, your presence; while as to betraying the whereabouts of the nest, depend upon it, it will be pure guesswork if you find it. It is a vivacious little bird to watch, and seems to have a high opinion of its own superior intelligence ; while the rapid up-and-down movements of the tail, which appears to be ever in motion, is a habit which we are more apt to associate with members of the Wagtail family. ORIGINAL SKETCHES OF BRITISH BIRDS. 203 I have noticed in clutches of eggs of this species, that when all the eggs have rust-coloured specks on the surface, one of the number generally has such specks much more strongly pronounced than the rest. Again, that when the clutch is of a pale greenish unspotted blue, uniform in colour, one egg occasionally exhibits a few faint rust-coloured specks. Such an egg I regard as answering to the variety that is so frequently found in the nests of other Species, and in none is the difference so emphasized, in my opinion, as in the case of the Sparrow-Hawk and the Tree- Sparrow. Hight is freely spoken of as the extreme number of eggs in a clutch, but my belief is that six is much more frequent; very rarely seven. I have never found so many as eight myself, nor have I known anyone who has actually found this number ; I have never met with a dealer who had a clutch of eight for sale, and therefore it would be interesting to me to learn what the authority is, and whence it emanated, for such a statement. It is, of course, matter of history what immense numbers of Wheatears used to be taken in traps on the downs in bygone years when assembling previous to retiring from this country. In those days they were esteemed very delicious articles of food, and though the taste may not have died out, yet, owing to the large tracts of waste land which have been reclaimed since that era, the haunts of the Wheatear have been much encroached upon and virtually broken up. It is, too, common knowledge that the species is an adept at the art of mimicry; but it may not be so generally known that on fine warm nights in May it will sing till long after dark. THe Wuincuat (Pratincola rubetra). I have noticed that this species is to be met with more frequently some years than in others, and though doubtless numbers resort to furze-clad commons for breeding purposes in general with their near relatives the Stonechats, I do not agree that the nest is of necessity to be sought in such wild districts. On the contrary, I look upon the Whinchat, which is a spring migrant and arrives in this country about the middle of April, as a sociable bird, and partial to cultivated fields and roadside hedges, whereabouts it finds an abundance of insectivorous food and suitable spots for rearing its young. 204 THE ZOOLOGIST. Considerable stress has been laid on the fact that Whinchats study the art of concealment when constructing their nests, or, perhaps I should more correctly say, when choosing a site for the same ; but that such cannot be the invariable rule is, I think, made evident by the very open situations in which I have found them. On more than one occasion have I discovered a nest mainly owing to first having caught a passing glimpse of the glossy greenish-blue eggs reposing in it. I have known nests in various situations: in grass fields, in the banks of roadside ditches, in coarse grass on a hillside, on railway embankments, and at the bottom of gorse bushes on the upland wastes. There is no doubt that when built in this last-mentioned position the nest 1s exceedingly well hidden, and not likely to be easily dis- covered unless you chance to beat the bird out of her recess, or detect her quitting it as she hurriedly flies forth at the signal of danger from her mate. If the eggs are on the point of being hatched, the hen will sit uncommonly close; but if they have only been recently laid, the alarm-notes have the desired effect of scaring her away immediately. During the period of incubation the male bird keeps a vigilant and incessant outlook, and gives warning of the approach of an intruder by sharply uttering the notes utac, utac, and there is no more convenient eminence for observing this habit than the top of a railway embankment, the cock bird, as a rule, being perched, sentinel-like, on the telegraph wires. My wife found two nests of this species on a grassy slope just outside Scarborough in the summer of 1892, each containing six eggs, which is the usual number of the clutch. There was nothing remarkable in the mere discovery of the nests beyond the fact that both were built within a few yards not only of each other, but of the old nests of the preceding year. Yet another instance of the tendency of birds to return annually to their erstwhile haunts. One of the nests I found by first noticing the eggs, was placed in an open bank in the middle of a field adjoining the river Lugg, in Herefordshire ; it was the sort of situation a Redbreast might have chosen, but almost too exposed, I should have thought, for even this con- fidential species. Another nest was placed in a grass meadow that had been ‘‘laid’”’ for hay, and could be seen from the foot- path that bisected it, ORIGINAL SKETCHES OF BRITISH BIRDS. 205 However, the most sure and effective way of discovering the nests of many of our spring migrants is to note the exact spot of a district they frequent on their arrival; there or thereabouts— unless the halt, as in the case of the Wheatear, is destined to be merely temporary—you may generally rely on meeting with them two or three weeks later. I took a clutch of seven beautiful eggs on May 18th, 1893, under circumstances which will serve by their narration a twofold purpose, viz. to adorn my story and point a moral. I had noticed a pair of Whinchats frequenting a broken straggling hedgerow on their arrival just a month previously, and had also remarked that an artificial cutting or trench, overgrown with rank herbage, ran alongside of it. The movements of the birds showed pretty plainly that they had come to stay, so, merely jotting down in my note-book a memorandum as to the species, locality, and date, I troubled no more about the matter until the morning I removed their eggs to my cabinet. I have merely related the above as evidence of what can be done by a little intelligent observation in the early days of spring. I would also impress upon all those who tread the paths of ornithology the infinite value of learning the song of each different bird; many and many a time has a ripple of melody betrayed the fact of a nest in my vicinity when I had little suspected it. Again, itis of untold advantage to have at your fingers’ ends the different haunts affected by the different species for nesting purposes, and the actual sites usually selected by them. Moreover, it is not probable that your eye will see every nest when you are hunting a hedge, or bank, or bushes, or the brushwood and undergrowth of plantations and woods—far from it; though the possession of a stout walking-stick, discreetly used, will frequently make up for any ocular shortcomings. The eggs of the Whinchat vary in number from five to seven, but, as has been already intimated, six is a favourite clutch. Some are inclined to rotundity, others are elongated ; while their ground colour is of a greenish-blue type, and occasionally exhibits a polished appearance, more especially when the eggs have been incubated for any length of time. Sometimes they are without the wreath of brownish frecklings round the larger end, but in most series this addition to their beauty is, I have reason to 206 THE ZOOLOGIST. believe, fairly well established; occasionally the specks are faintly distributed all over the shell. The illustrious Colonel Montagu, who states that the eggs are entirely blue, without a spot, and in this connection compares them with those of the Stonechat, evidently had an experience very different to more modern observers; and it is difficult to reconcile what he so emphatically alleges on the point with the observations that annually come under my own notice, except on the plausible supposition that it is only of late years the brown frecklings have become so pronounced a feature in the appearance of the egg. They have little of the turquoise-blue of the Hedge-Sparrow’s eggs about them, and they ought never to be confused with those of the Redstart, and seldom with those of the Stonechat. The variety egg I have often noticed in nests of the Whinchat takes the form of a much lighter ground shade, and the frecklings are generally more emphasized. ‘To assert, however, that this egg is invariably the last one laid is contrary to the fact, for I have known instances when it was the first. Sometimes when in pursuit of food this species has a pretty habit of poising itself on hovering wing—after the manner of Swallows in hay-fields before the grass has been laid low—and then darting down, snatching its prey, and flitting back as quickly as possible to the top of the bending spray from which it had only a few moments previously gone through the same process. I do not mean that Swallows actually perform all this—only that their suspensory movements in mid air when hawking for insects at a low level over tall standing grass are very similar to the hoverings of the Whinchat. The analogy, however, must not be carried any farther, for as the former species snaps up its prey at about its own level, the latter often indulges in a downward, almost pouncing kind of movement. The statement that the Whinchat as a species passes the winter in these islands is, of course, entirely apocryphal; it may be that individuals have remained on occasions, but in the majority of cases it is warrantable to suppose that casual observers have mistaken the Stonechat for the bird under dis- cussion. Neither have I any faith in the assertion that this species is double-brooded, and only regret that there is no means of tracing the authority for some of the remarkable statements ORIGINAL SKETCHES OF BRITISH BIRDS. 207 with which not a little of the popular literature of the every-day bird-life of our islands is overburdened. The song of the Whinchat is not unlikely to escape notice amidst the conflicting strains of various warblers, and, even if heard, may easily be mistaken by careless listeners for that of the Redstart. There is a peculiar harshness, not by any means unpleasing, about it; but, though I am very familiar with it, and never deem a few minutes’ delay in order to listen to it as time ill-spent, 1 have presence of mind enough to know how feeble most attempts are that aim at reducing the songs of birds to writing. Syllables suggestive of the call-notes are all very well and frequently instructive, as, for instance, the late Mr. Seebohm’s felicitous rendering of the Lesser Redpoll’s call-note by the French word henri; nevertheless, attempts to give the full song of a bird on paper must more often than not end in fiasco. That of the Whinchat is interspersed with some beautiful flute-like strains, but the harsher tones predominate in the refrain which is not disappointingly curtailed, and is repeated again and again from some elevated perch where the performer takes up a con- Spicuous position on the topmost twig for minutes together. The performance is usually accompanied by a fanning motion of the tail. My impression is that Whinchats’ nests need not be looked for much before the end of the second week in May; my earliest recorded date is on May 12th for the first egg, and some other dates run thus: May 2lst, May 26th, May 27th, May 28th, and May 29th; and it is partly on this account—late nesting—that I decline to accept the apparently irresponsible statement that the species rears two broods every year. ‘The young of the first nest cannot be taught to provide for themselves all in a moment, and though some birds undoubtedly have two or three broods in the course of a summer, they are chiefly those that nest in our gardens and orchards, and whose young are out of the first-laid eggs before some of the migrants have reached our shores. Again, if these alleged second broods were so common, the males would surely treat us to a second edition of their May concert in June, which, as a matter of fact, they do not. Towards the end of this latter month, to my mind, it is quite melancholy to take a stroll through the woods—almost every voice is hushed. 208 THE ZOOLOGIST. The male bird is quickly apprehensive of danger, and in nine cases out of ten espies the intruder long before the latter espies him. It is too Jate to acquire much information about the site of the nest when your first intimation of the presence of this pretty migrant is a sight of him on some commanding perch. As in the case of the Wheatear, the Goldfinch, and the Golden-crested Wren, I have never discovered the male Whinchat actively par- ticipating in the building of the nest, and I am quite positive that not a few of the smaller nests which we come across in this country in the course of the summer are solely the work of the females. One word more. Is the Whinchat a mimic? It certainly possesses a note at times not unlike that of a Partridge, though, of course, on a modified scale. Tue Stonecuat (Pratincola rubicola). The Stonechat affects those wild uplands and barren heaths which are studded with a luxuriant growth of furze and other bushes of a corresponding height, and here it secures conceal- ment for its nest and young, and a supply of food, more or less, all the year round. I have only twice met with this bird in Leicester- shire, and that was during the winter of 1886, and the autumn of 1898. I should mention, perhaps, that my home for over ten years was at Ashlands in that county, between two and three miles from my native village, and in the winter I have referred to a Stone- chat used to come and perch on the temporary railings which protected a new cricket-ground that was being made near to the house. None of the workmen engaged in levelling the turf had the least idea what the bird was, though they showed a little dis- cernment when sending me a message to the effect that “ a funny kind of Flycatcher’ was their constant companion. Certainly, the Stonechat’s method of taking its food on the wing very much resembles that of the bird above mentioned, and the fact of its presence near to Ashlands in mid-winter tended to confirm Harley’s statement to the effect that at that season ‘it left its ordinary habitat of the whin-covered moor and wild for the cultivated field and hedgerow.” What warranty he had, however, for saying that the nest was occasionally lodged on the horizontal bough of a Scotch fir, I know not. I am presumptuous enough to think, after careful observa- tion, that the nomenclature of each of the three species, viz. the ORIGINAL SKETCHES OF BRITISH BIRDS 209 Wheatear, the Whinchat, and the Stonechat, is open to improve- ment, and that if lots were drawn as to which of the names should be applied to each bird, the result might not improbably be more in accordance with their individual haunts and habits than is now the case. The favourite perch of the Wheatear is beyond all doubt on some wall or rock, and its affection for stony places is notorious. The Whinchat, to my thinking, frequents the lowland pastures more frequently than the upland heaths, and is not necessarily to be sought amongst whins; while, on the contrary, the haunts of the Stonechat are confined almost exclusively to wild heaths and commons, and on the topmost sprays of the whin-bushes it is almost invariably to be seen stationed. Nevertheless, the Wheatear does not take its name from the haunts it particularly affects, as its congeners are supposed to do. Bircher Common—or, to use the vernacular of the district, Bircher “‘ Kimmin ”—is one of the favourite resorts in Hereford- shire of the Stonechat. Here itis an early breeder, and those who are in want of its eggs and meditate a search for the same on their own account, had better make a note of the fact. The allegation that it rears two broods in a season, however, is probably correct. ‘The nest, somewhat slovenly put together, is almost invariably placed on the ground in the recess of some furze-bush, and is most skilfully concealed. It is composed of moss and dry grass, and lined with finer grass, hair, and occa- sionally a few feathers, while I have one nest in my memory, taken on Bircher Common, that was profusely lined with sheep’s wool. The eggs are subject to a certain amount of variation, but the ground colour is generally of a pale greenish blue, typical more of the shade of Spotted Flycatchers’ eggs than that of those of its allied species, the Whinchat. They are, however, very prettily and distinctly mottled with specks and spots of reddish brown, which, when not confluent, frequently form a wreath round the broad end. I have never come across the unspotted variety in my wanderings. ‘The most perfect clutch of Stonechat’s eggs Il ever saw came from the common I have already alluded to; they were not only of unusual size, but a magnificent zone of bold brown markings enriched the broad end of every one of them. Five is as frequent a number in a clutch as six, according to my observations. 4ool. 4th ser. vol. {1I., May, 1899. P 210 THE ZOOLOGIST. Tue Repstartr (Ruticilla phenicurus). Many birds pause awhile after reaching this country before engaging in nesting operations, but I am rather inclined to think that the Redstart is not one of the number. I knew of a nest in the hole of a tree one year that contained an egg so soon as the first day of May. Early on the morning of May 5th a heavy snowstorm raged for a couple of hours, and when, shortly after- wards, I inspected the nest, I found the hole, which faced due north, filled with snow, some of the eggs broken, the interior of the nest disarranged, and the locality forsaken by the birds themselves. I have found many nests of this species in the course of my rambles, and noticed that, in addition to being a comparatively early builder, an especially favourite haunt is the pollard or “sally” trees—as they are termed in some parts of Hereford- shire—that form so ornamental an appendage to the banks of rivers. I am not quite sure that pollard willows do not more correctly express the type of tree I have in my mind’s eye; but willow, pollard, and “‘sally,’” all, I believe, indicate its colloquial appellation in different parts of the country. In the natural holes of such trees the Redstart loves to nidificate, though suitable cavities in stone walls are equally resorted to. With regard to its eggs, I have found the clutches varying from five to eight, but am of opinion that six, equally with seven, is the more favoured number. They are smaller, and lighter in shade than Hedge-Sparrows’, and the shell is far more brittle. Touching the colouring of the same, I find myself in distinct opposition to the experience and opinion of Mr. C. Dixon, as enunciated at page 188 of his ‘Nests and Eggs of British Birds.’ The author writes :—‘‘It is said that the eggs of this species are ‘ occasionally speckled with reddish,’ but surely this must be a mistake.”” I have not been able to trace the statement to which the author referred to above takes exception, but I can unhesitatingly corroborate its accuracy. I have on more than one occasion possessed myself of Redstarts’ eggs with rufous brown specklings on them, though others in the clutch have been without any colouration, beyond, of course, that of the uniform pale greenish-blue ground shade. Nevertheless, it is only a few summers ago that I found in a hole in an ash-tree near to Rolleston Hall, the residence ORIGINAL SKETCHES OF BRITISH BIRDS. 211 of Lord Churchill in this county, a clutch of six Redstarts’ eggs, all more or less boldly spotted with brown. ‘The value of my “find,” however, was sadly discounted by the fact of the eggs being on the point of hatching. In Mr. C. Dixon’s same work, and at the bottom of the same page, it is alleged that Hedge- Sparrows’ eggs are the only ones with which those of the Redstart can be confused in our islands. In my opinion, the latter bear a far more striking resemblance to Pied Flycatchers’ than to Hedge-Sparrows’ eggs, compare them how you will. Not only in grain and colour, but also in size and shape, Redstarts’ eggs, I contend, approximate more nearly to those of the Pied Flycatcher. ‘The highly polished shell to which some writers so pointedly invite attention as a distinguishing feature of the egg of the Redstart, I have never been discriminating enough to notice. The song of the Redstart I am inclined to characterize as unequal. I have frequently been astounded by the melody flowing from the throat of this little bird, but on such occasions it has almost always been perched amidst the uppermost branches of lofty poplars, and April has invariably been the month when I have heard it warbling what I deem its most fascinating notes. It is many years now since I was first attracted by its song under such circumstances; and having previously regarded it as merely a mediocre performer, and as one that usually sang from a lower level, I brought my field- glasses to bear on the songster, to avoid any risk of blundering ; and what I then observed was recorded in my note-book on the spot. Subsequent meetings with the Redstart in April in Ireland, Wales, and other wide-distant portions of these islands, have not led me to alter the opinion I formed of its carol as delivered from the upper branches of a Leicestershire poplar—long, long ago. In support of what I have written above, it gives me satisfaction to quote from Mudie’s ‘ British Birds,’ published in 1858, as fol- lows :—‘* When the males arrive, they sing from elevated perches ; but after the operations of nesting are begun, they sing lower, and always within a short distance of the nest.” While, somewhat curiously, in the same connection and evidently pursuing the same train of thought, Seebohm wrote exactly thirty years later :—“ It may also be noticed that the Redstart, directly after its arrival in April, seeks the tree-tops for his orchestra; but as the summer P2 212 THE ZOOLOGIST. comes on this habit is lost, and the bird warbles from a lower perch, usually in the neighbourhood of his nest.” The Redstart has a very peculiar habit of shaking the lower portion of its body at intervals when stationary, quite different from the gentle, fanning, up and down movement of the tail that is associated with the Whinchat. The former seems to be periodically shaking out its feathers, somewhat after the manner of a Peacock, though, of course, on a much less obtrusive scale. The song in a general way, as I believe has been stated in my notice of the Whinchat, bears some resemblance to that of this latter bird. It has lkewise a peculiarly rich, liquid note, occa- sionally heard when in flight, sounding in my ears like tu-ee, tu-ee, tu-ee, tu-ee, tu-ee. However, to revert for one moment to its nesting site: the hole chosen is invariably a natural one; there is no such thing as artificially adapting it to its requirements, as is the case with some of the Woodpeckers. The nest itself is artlessly put together, and is formed of roots, small fibres, and dry grass, and frequently a little wool, and is lined with hair and occasionally a few feathers. I do not see that we have any means of ascertaining whether or not this species is life-paired. Redstarts are, beyond question, very conservative in their regard for old haunts, but, considering it is generally admitted that the sexes do not migrate in company —the males usually preceding the females in the spring of the year—it must be purely a matter of speculation. One other little point I would touch on before closing this sketch ; it refers to the marked similarity between the alarm-note of the Redstart and that of the Chaffinch. It may possibly take a very skilful ear to discriminate between the two utterances, but I think it will be admitted that there is a more plaintive character about the alarm-note of the Redstart than is noticeable in the case of the other species; while the former also frequently emits a sound, two or three times quickly repeated, which resembles that form of annoyance in an individual so commonly expressed by the tongue and the teeth without the aid of language. In the summer of 1896 I found a Redstart’s nest, full of young, in a kettle hung on a nail in an old tumble-down shed near to Keythorpe. I have also known the species utilize a site just pre- viously tenanted—with success in the matter of rearing their young—by a pair of Great Tits. ( 218 ) THE TREK-BOKKE (GAZELLA EUCHORE) OF THE CAPE COLONY. By S. C. CRonwrigHtT-SCHREINER. SourH Arrica has probably never been surpassed in the variety and profusion of its wild animals ; it has certainly had nothing more wonderful than its prodigious numbers of Springbucks. These fleet and beautiful creatures still exist in numbers incredible to people unacquainted with the country, though they have lately so decreased that it is almost impossible now to form any conception of the hosts that infested the endless flats only a few years ago. Where Springbucks run wild in large numbers they are distinguished as ‘ Hou-bokke” and “ Trek-bokke,” the ‘‘ Hou-bokke ” being bucks (we term all our Antelopes “ bucks”) that live permanently on the same veld, the “ Trek-bokke” those that congregate in vast hosts and migrate from one part of the country to another in seasons of drought. When the country was 80 densely covered with all kinds of game, the vast herds of Springbucks quickly felt the effects of the frequent droughts that devastate the inland up-country parts, and began to “trek.” Congregating in millions, they moved off in search of better veld, destroying everything in their march over the arid flats. The ‘“ Trek-bokke” can only be com- pared, in regard to number, with the Bison of North America, or the Pigeons of the Canadas. ‘To say they migrate in millions is to employ an ordinary figure of speech used vaguely to convey the idea of great numbers ; but in the case of these bucks it is the literal truth. Gordon Cumming, who shot in South Africa in the early forties, and whose book (‘ The Lion Hunter in South Africa’), more than any book with which I am acquainted, gives some idea of the extraordinary variety and profusion of game which then existed, refers to a “ Trek-bokken or grand migration of Springboks ” which he saw between Cradock and Colesberg, and vividly describes how he stood on the forechest of his waggon, watching the bucks pass “like the flood of some great river,” during which time “these vast legions continued streaming through the nek in the hills in one unbroken compact phalanx”; then he saddled his horse, rode into the midst of them, and shot until he cried “ Knough.” But this vast and surprising trek was, he says, “infinitely surpassed” by one he saw some days later. He “ beheld the plains, and even the hillsides, which stretched away on every side, thickly covered, not with herds, but with one vast mass 214 THE ZOOLOGIST. of Springboks ; as far as the eye could strain the landscape was alive with them, until they softened down into a dim mass of living creatures.” It would be vain, he says, to attempt to form any idea of the number of Antelopes he saw on that day, but he has no hesitation in saying that ‘some hundreds of thousands were within the compass of my (his) vision.” A Boer with whom he was shooting acknowledged that “ it was a very fair Trek-bokken, but observed that it was not many when compared with what he had seen.” ‘“ This morning,” remarked the Boer, “ you beheld only one flat covered with Springboks, but I give you my word that I have ridden a long day’s journey over a succession of flats covered with them as far as I could see, and as thick as Sheep in a fold.” A generation back they trekked in such dense masses that they used sometimes to pass right through the streets of the small up-country towns. I liave known old people who walked among them, and actually now and then touched them with their hand. Men have gone in armed only with a heavy stick, and killed as many as they wished. Native herdsmen have been trampled to death by the Bucks, and droves of Afrikander Sheep carried away, never to be recovered, in the surging crowd. So dense is the mass at times, and so overpowering the pressure from the millions behind, that if a sluit (gully) is come to, so wide and deep that the Bucks cannot leap over or go through it, the front ranks are forced in until it is levelled up by their bodies, when the mass marches over and continues its irresistible way. Again, when they come to our large rivers, which run almost dry before the summer storms fall, the thirsty creatures stream over the steep banks into the bed of the river, and drink themselves heavy with water. They crowd into the river-bed quicker than they can get out, and the crush is so great at times as they climb the steep banks that men have gone in on foot unarmed, and secured as many as they wished simply by catching them with the naked hand and breaking their hind legs. There was a certain element of danger in doing this, for, if the Bucks turned, the hunters ran the risk of being trampled to death. The density of such masses may be imagined when one remembers how timid and wary of approach these Antelopes are. . The Cape Colony has from time to time during recent years been visited by the Trek-bokke, though not in such numbers as the old farmers used to describe, and, I have no doubt, truthfully describe. In 1895, however, the up-country was suffering from a long drought, which was particularly severe in Namaqualand ; and the Trek-bokke began to move well into the Colony. There were rumours of their coming, and then it was said that they were unusually numerous—that it was a “big trek.” This soon proved to be the case. It was eventually known that they had not appeared in such numbers for thirty or forty years. They kidded on the Kaaien THE TREK-BOKKE OF THE CAPE COLONY. 215 Bult, in the district of Prieska, and then resumed their trek in search of better veld. Mr. J. W. Wright, a relative of mine, was then living at Karree Kloof, a farm about ten hours by cart (six miles to the hour) west of the railway in the district of Hope Town. In July, 1896, he wrote that the Trek-bokke were approaching Karree Kloof, and invited me to come and see them. Believing that such a large “trek” might never be seen again, I accepted his invitation. Starting by train from Kimberley, I alighted at Kran Kuil, a railway station not far south of the Orange River. Leaving Kran Kuil by post- cart early next morning, and passing the little village of Strydenburg, with its immense “ pan,” the home when full of thousands of wild-fowl, after a ten hours’ drive in a rickety cart, one of whose wheels was dished the wrong way, and threatened to fall to pieces every moment, I reached Karree Kloof at sundown. Our conversation that evening was of course largely about the Springbucks. Some hundred yards to the back of the house stands a kraal. Ten or fifteen years earlier Mr. Wright saw the Trek- bokke stream through between the house and the kraal. The present trek had approached within about four hours of Karree Kloof, and then turned, and was now some distance farther away. We started in a four-in-hand Cape-cart next day to see the Bucks. Passing through veld where the trek had recently been, and by many a dead Buck, we slept that night at Omdraai’s Vlev, in the district of Prieska, where two young Englishmen had an accommodation house and a country shop. Over a large fire that evening (it was mid-winter and freezing hard every night) we heard the latest news of the trek. The nearest Bucks were then about two hours farther on. A portion had passed over Omdraai’s Vley, taking their way through a wire-fenced Ostrich camp, breaking some of the wires. To clear this camp of those that remained in, about one thousand had to be shot, one of which was an albino. A large number had of course been wounded, and many kids, whose mothers had been shot, died. In that camp alone two thousand must have perished. The owners of the shop were buying Springbuck skins at 5d. and 6d. each at the rate of three thousand a week, and had already purchased thousands of pounds of “ biltong” (the raw flesh cut into narrow strips and dried), as had also Mr. Wright at Karree Kloof. .It was reckoned that, in the district of Prieska alone, some hundreds of thousands of Bucks had been shot, and nearly as many wounded, and the little kids were dying in thousands; yet there was no appreciable diminu- tion in their numbers. Among other things, we heard that various wil carnivora were following the trek, a Leopara taving been shot tu ihe oper veld, and “ Wild Dogs” (Lycaon pictus) having been seen in pursuit ; also that Antelopes, unknown in those parts for many years, had appeared, carried along in the living flood which was pouring over the country. In 216 THE ZOOLOGIST. fact, at Karree Kloof, which the Bucks had not actually encroached upon, a Kudu and three Haartebeeste had been found in the camps, the Kudu (a bull) having broken off a horn in jumping over the wire fence. Taking an early breakfast next morning, we inspanned, and, after several hours’ drive, passing a pair of wild Ostriches with chicks on the way, saw the first of the Bucks, some ten or fifteen thousand, in several lots. One lot began to run, to cross the road in front of us. Whipping the horses up until we were close enough, we alighted with our rifles, and as the Bucks came bounding past shot several, and then, cutting off the hind legs of such as were fat at the small of the back, we slung them on the axle of the cart and drove on. After proceeding for a couple of hours, and shooting another Buck or two from the road, we outspanned at a farm called Weel Pan, and had an early lunch. The “pan” was dry and the house forsaken, except for a Hottentot servant. The farm was 12,000 morgen (about 25,000 acres) in extent, but had been so eaten off and tramped out by the Bucks that the owner had had to remove all his stock. This was the case with many farms in the path of the Bucks; the veld had been destroyed, cultivated lands eaten bare, and camp fences broken down by the resistless mass of Antelopes. Mr. Wright mentioned that he had 40,000 morgen of land on the Kaaien Bult, which the Bucks had so destroyed that he was removing all his stock from it. Before I left Karree Kloof, on my way home, the cattle from the Kaaien Bult arrived there, having been driven twenty-six hours (156 miles) to be pastured where the devastating Bucks had not been. After lunch we changed our direction, and drove on, hoping to see a denser part of the trek, shooting an occasional Buck from the road. The Dutch farmers were out by the hundred ; all day shots could be heard, and occasionally a horseman could be seen scurrying along the road to head a lot of Bucks, and we witnessed an exciting chase after a wounded ram, which, when the horseman dismounted, charged him—a very rare thing for a Springbuck to do. The whole veld was damaged ; it was hardly possible to put one’s foot down in that vast extent of country without treading on spoor of the Springbuck ; and the Karoo bushes were torn and broken by their sharp feet. We passed several “ outspans’”’ where the hunters had encamped for days, with their waggons, and carts and horses—deserted camps which were marked by ash-heaps and charred bones, and the straw of bundles of forage; while offal and heads and the lower portions of the legs of the Bucks lay about to such an extent as to be quite disagreeable. We constantly saw dead Bucks, and there were especially large numbers of kids which had perished from starvation, their mothers having been shot. The Dutch farmers made on an average about 2s. 6d. per Buck—6d. for the skin, 2s. for the biltong. They enjoyed the sport, made a few sovereigns, THE TREK-BOKKE OF THE CAPE COLONY. 217 and did the country a service. Every farmhouse we came to was simply festooned with drying biltong, the ground around being covered with pegged-out skins. Many Bucks were being conveyed by waggon to the railway, and sent to the large centres: Johannesburg, Cape Town, Kimber- ley, Port Elizabeth, and other towns. On our return journey we passed a waggon laden with two hundred and thirty Bucks going to Kran Kuil Station, and after our arrival at Karree Kloof another passed with eighty more. ‘This was going on over a large extent of country; we but saw the edges of the trek. Venison of the finest quality in the world was plentiful. In the afternoon we gradually left the noise of the hunters behind, and drove to quieter quarters, until at length our wish to see large numbers of the Bucks was gratified. On driving over a low nek of land a vast, undis- turbed, glittering plain lay before us. Our glance at one sweep took in the expanse of brown country, bounded in the distance by low kopjes, bathed in the wonderful glowing tints of the Karoo ; and throughout its whole extent the exquisite Antelopes grazed peacefully in the warm afternoon winter sunshine. It was as beautiful as it was wondrous. Undisturbed by the hunters, they were not huddled together in separate lots or running in close array, but were distributed in one unbroken mass over the whole expanse —‘‘not herds,” as Gordon Cumming said, ‘‘ but one unbroken mass of Springbucks ”—giving quite a whitish tint to the veld, almost as though there had been a very light fall of snow. We alighted from the cart, put our rifles aside, and sat down to watch them, and take in a sight we most certainly should never see again. We were three farmers, accustomed to estimate numbers of small stock, and we had an excellent pair of field-glasses. I suggested to my friends that we should endeavour accurately to estimate how many Bucks were before us. With the aid of the field-glasses we deliberately formed a careful estimate, taking them in sections, and checking one another’s calculations. We eventually computed the number to be not less than 500,000—half a million Springbucks in sight at one moment. I have no hesitation in saying that that estimate is not excessive. We were thoroughly accustomed to the vast South African veld and the sights it affords, but we sat in silence and feasted our eyes on this wonderful spectacle. Now, to obtain some rough idea of the prodigious number of Bucks in the whole trek, it must be remembered it was computed that they extended twenty-three hours in one direction, and from two to three in the other—that is, the whole trek occupied a space of country 138 by 15 miles! Of course they were not equally dense throughout this area; but when one says they were in millions, it is the literal truth. Having watched the scene long enough, we started on our homeward journey, leaving the Bucks undisturbed. We slept that night at Schilder 218 THE ZOOLOGIST. Pan, the farm of Mr. Jackson, who made us most welcome. Chatting about the Bucks, Mr. Jackson said we had not seen the densest part of the trek, and told us of two incidents which indicated how thick the crowd had been on a portion of his farm. His son on one occasion got ahead of the Bucks, in a narrow run between some kopjes, down which he knew they were coming. They did come, and he only escaped being trampled to death by taking shelter behind a large stone, past which they rushed like a torrent. He actually shot one within a yard or two of the stone before taking refuge behind it. ‘The other incident—it occurred on two occasions—was more remarkable. When Springbuck are shot at they all usually begin to run in one direction, up the wind as a rule; and, if they are in large numbers and hard pressed, they pass in two streams on each side of the object they wish to avoid. (When they once take their direction they will keep it. Hunters know this well. Shooting near Colesberg, in 1880, we used to start the Bucks running, and then ride to head them off. I have thus ridden right through a flying herd of only a few hundreds.) When the object is very close they pass in front of it in a kind of crescent form, giving a little in the centre, and thus closing back towards the original line of their flight. As the Karoo veld is very bare and sandy, they often raise, and run enveloped in, a cloud of dust. Mr. Jackson was out in his four-in-hand Cape-cart shooting Trek-bokke. As he drove along the dense masses began to cut across in front of him enveloped in a cloud of dust, which, as the numbers thickened and the pace increased, grew denser, and as it grew denser and obscured their sight the rushing mass came closer and closer to the cart, until at last, in a thick storm of blinding dust, some of the Bucks actually ran against the cart-wheels and under the horses’ bellies. A man on foot would probably have been knocked down and trampled to death. No careful study has, to my knowledge, been made of the habits of the Trek-bokke. It is known that they migrate in search of better veld, urged thereto by drought. They do not travel fast when doing this, but feed along. In some out-of-the-way parts they kid, and when the kids are strong enough they return to their own veld, if rain has fallen. If it con- tinues dry they do not return at once, but stay on till later in the season, or perhaps over another kidding. How they know when it has rained where they came from, when perhaps it is dry where they are, one cannot say; but it is generally held that, through a subtle sense of smell, they do know. Whether the Trek-bokke of forty or fifty years ago or earlier came from some particular part of the country and again returned to it, I do not know, but I do not think this was the case; it seems more likely that when the Bucks were in such countless numbers all over the country they simply all moved off together during droughts in search of food. Trek-bokke then might have come from any part of the country suffering severely from THE TREK-BOKKE OF THE CAPE COLONY. 219 drought, returning in time, no doubt, each to its particular haunts. I do not think that there is any difference between the ‘“ Trek-bokke” and the ‘“¢ Hou-bokke,” except in the matter of weight, the Trek-bokke averaging about 10 lb. to 15 1b. lighter. This difference in weight, however, is probably accounted for by the quieter life of the-‘‘ Hou-bokke,” for veld will permanently support a few Bucks in good condition where a large number would starve. I do not know whether there were “ Hou-bokke” in the earlier days. To-day the veld is never so eaten off and destroyed as when the Bucks and other game were in such enormous numbers, 8o there is no need for the few Bucks now left to migrate. But in the north-west of the Colony, and in Great Namaqualand, they are evidently still to be found in large numbers, and these, when a severe drought comes, trek into the Karoo of the Colony in search of food. As I have said, these Bucks, when trek- king down, do not travel fast; but the old Dutch farmers, who should know their habits well, say that when they return they travel at a great pace, even as fast as one hundred miles a day. How true this is I cannot say; it cannot seem impossible to such as know the extraordinary fleetness and staying power of these Antelopes. However considered, the Trek-bokken are one of the most wonderful occurrences in a wonderful country. Yet it is probable that the days of the very large treks are past, and that such a sight as we saw in 1896 will never be seen again. [Mr. Cronwright-Schreiner informs us he has also sent this communi- cation to the ‘ Cape Times. —Ep. ] 220 THE ZOOLOGIST. NOTES AND QUERIES. MAMMALIA. RODENTIA. An Albino of the Beaver (Castor canadensis),—F rom all accounts by those in a position to know, the Beaver seems to be following the Buffalo into a precarious existence. Before long now both may have undergone the fate of so many other extinct species. It is therefore of importance that any items of information about the Beaver should be placed upon record. So far as I can find in the limited literature of the subject within my reach, no notice seems to have been taken of albinism in the Beaver, though doubtless the variation takes place as frequently in the species as in other animals. On the walls of the Mansion House of Mavisgrove here, there has hung for several generations past a square glazed case which contains a very beautiful pure white Beaver skin. Not long ago I had the privilege of examining it, and, although it is now one hundred and twenty- one years since it was made into a specimen, the skin is still in the best of preservation. ‘There is a printed label attached, but the record thereon is merely a paraphrase of a written statement, now faded greatly, which is gummed to the back of the case. The written document is as follows :— “In the year 1777 Mr. Joseph Aimse, the Indian interpreter at Michili- mackinac, informed Colonel de Peyster, then Major to the Kings Regt., and Commandant of that post, situated at the confluence of the Lakes Huron and Michigan, that an Indian had been seen standing for several days at the corner of the storehouse, who had just informed him that he had been directed by a spirit in the form of an Amik Waubascan (white Beaver),* whilst slumbering in the Great Beaver Island, to take his stand there, and kill the commandant as he passed; but, finding his heart fail to give the fatal blow, he begged to be sent out of that part of the country which the commandant refused, but ordered him to go to the island and fetch him the white Beaver, which the Indian accordingly did ; and this is the skin of it.—(Signed) A. S. DE Peyster.” Apparently this document is in the handwriting of Col. Arentz Schuyler de Peyster himself, who, as I find from a short biographical notice in McDowall’s ‘ Sketches from Nature,’ pp. 314-321, was a Dutchman by extraction, but a Briton by * The only white one seen in that part of the country. NOTES AND QUERIES. 221 adoption. His grandfather was a magistrate in Amsterdam, and his father, who emigrated to America at an early age, entered the Army, and held for years the appointment of Lieutenant-Governor of New York. Col. de Peyster entered the Army before he was seventeen years of age, and the best part of his military career was spent in Canada. His wife was a Dumfries lady, and probably for that reason the last years of his life were spent here. He died at Dumfries Nov. 26th, 1822, at the age of ninety-seven, having held the Royal Commission for upwards of fourscore years.—RoBEeRT SERVICE (Maxwelltown, Dumfries). [A white Tiger is reported as having recently been shot in Assam. The general colouration of the skin is white, the stripes not being very clearly indicated. We read that the skin has been sent to Mr. Newing, a Calcutta taxidermist, for preservation.— Hb. | AVES. White Eggs of Redbreast (Erithacus rubecula)—On the 15th of April this year I found a Redbreast’s nest in a bank, containing a pure white egg, and at the time of writing there are five, and the bird is sitting. The eggs are very round in shape, and greatly resemble a small King- fisher’s egg in appearance. I enclose one for inspection. — WM. DELVEs, Jun. (Maynard’s Green, Horsham Road, Sussex). {Pure white eggs of the Robin are well known, though some collectors have never met with them under natural conditions. ‘This bird is now very abundant on my part of the Surrey Hills, and Mr. Service informs me of the same plentitude near Dumfries, where he has never previously seen the nests so numerous.— ED. | A Stray Visitor to Kent.—On Saturday morning (April 15th), whilst eating my breakfast opposite a window facing my garden, I observed a tiny Warbler doing me good service by clearing the aphides from my rose trees. The sun was shining, and the bird was only about eight feet distant from me, so that I could see it quite distinctly ; it was about the size of a Gold- crest, but olive-green above, pale yellow beneath, and with a well-defined eye-stripe. If this was not Phylloscopus superciliosus, I can give no name to it, for it was far too small for a Chiffchaft or a Willow Warbler, both of which I often see either in the spring or autumn in my garden. I watched the bird carefully for three or four minutes before it flew away. —A. G. BuTierR (Beckenham Road, Beckenham, Kent). The Grasshopper Warbler in Breconshire.—As might be expected from the nature of the country, the Grasshopper Warbler (Sylvia locustella) is not uncommon in Breconshire. We have here most of the conditions in which this little summer migrant delights, such as rushy meadows with 222 THE ZOOLOGIST. grass tussocks here and there, neglected fields containing clumps of stunted blackthorn bushes and brambles, dingles furnished with little alder bushes, and dry wastes of low cover. In places of this kind it nests, and may be heard singing during the season, the favourite haunt being round Llangorse Lake, where it may be termed common. I first heard the unmistakable little trill of this bird when I came to live here fifteen years ago, and found the first nest on May 29th, 1886. It was placed in a tuft of rushes, and contained five fresh eggs, two of which, with the nest, are now in the Natural History Museum, South Kensington. I have since found five more nests. Eggs from three sets in my possession are mostly zoned ; one clutch taken on June 9th, 1893, is unusually highly coloured. Hvery nest is wonderfully well concealed. If it contains eggs the sitting bird disappears at once in the nearest cover; if there are young, both birds come back and commence creeping and tumbling about, wings and tails spread, within three or four yards of a bystander’s feet, uttering a rapid metallic “tick.” For some years I tried to shoot a male bird before the nesting season, but without success, owing to the persistent way in which it keeps out of sight when singing, and have been obliged to content myself with a pair of nestlings, which, set up in a nest, make a nice little case. With a bird like this, which is often heard but seldum seen, the song is all- importaut for identification purposes. In this case it seems to me to be precisely like the sound made in drawing out a line from a small Trout fishing-reel the check spring of which happens to have the right pitch. During fifteen years the earliest date on which I have heard the song is April 15th, and the latest July 24th. It is sometimes to be heard in July in fields of standing wheat.—H. A. Swainson (Woodlands, Brecon). Common Crossbill in Worcestershire.— Whilst rambling over Brake Wood, near Churchill, on April 15th last, I noticed a few Crossbills (Loava curvirostra) among the Scotch firs, busily employed with the cones. Upon making enquiries from the keeper, he stated that he had noticed them there for the last three years, sometimes numbering upwards of fifty, though this winter not so plentiful. I could not satisfy myself that they were breeding there. The cover is only a small one, and gave me a splendid opportunity of finding their nest had they been so doing. — J. StwetE-Ewiorr (Hill- crest, Clent). Cirl Bunting (Emberiza cirlus) in North Cheshire.—On April 12th, when walking in some meadows about six miles from Manchester, I noticed a bird flying about a low fence close to a railway embankment. I went cautiously towards it, keeping close to the fence. The bird kept flying in and out of the gaps in the fence, often settling in the grass, and occasionally making an attempt at a song. At first the yellow on the head made me NOTES AND QUERIES. 298 think it was only a Yellowhammer, but presently getting a better view, I was surprised to see that it was a Cirl Bunting, as I understand that this species is very rare in this part of the country. I may add, however, that I was informed that another example of this species had been seen only about two miles from the spot where I met with the Cirl Bunting. This other example was seen in a little-frequented part of the district in the summer of 1897 or 1898, my informant distinctly recognizing the species ; in fact, | closely cross-examined him on the differences between the Cirl Bunting and the common Yellowhammer, but he remained confident that he had correctly diagnosed the species. In the meadows alluded to above the following Buntings occur regularly : Emberiza citrinella, E. scheniclus, and the local EL. miliaris.—Granam RensHaw (Sale Bridge House, Sale, Manchester). Cuckoos’ Eggs in Nest of Red-backed Shrike.—In Dr. Rey’s inter- esting article on Cuckoos’ eggs (ante, pp. 176-8) there is one observation which shows how different the habits of the same species may be in different countries. I refer to the statement that in the neighbourhood of Leipzig 84 per cent. of the Cuckoo’s eggs are found in the nests of the Red-backed Shrike, which in England seems to be one of the most uncommon foster-parents. During the last four years I have certainly seen in situ over thirty nests of the Red-backed Shrike, and have had the opportunity of examining the unblown eggs of perhaps twelve or fifteen more, not one of which contained a Cuckoo’s egg or a young Cuckoo, though Cuckoos and Shrikes abound in the same meadows. A Cuckoo’s egg was found here in 1894 in a Shrike’s nest, but there was no other egg, and the nest was apparently a deserted one. A friend who knows the Shrike well, and has found many nests, is of opinion that a pair of Red- backed Shrikes would give a prowling Cuckoo they found in the near neigh- bourhood of their nest a warm reception, in which I quite agree with him. —Juuian G. Tuck (Tostock Rectory, Bury St. Edmunds). Variation in Cuckoos’ Eggs.—After reading Dr. E. Rey’s views as to the reason of the great variation in Cuckoos’ eggs (ante, pp. 176-8), it struck me that his theory, that the variation is caused by the different diet supplied to the nestling Cuckoos by their foster-parents, may not generally be accepted by ornithologists as a satisfactory explanation. In the first place, it may be questioned whether there is any material differ- ence in the diet provided by the various species of foster-parents, for even hard-billed birds, e.g. Buntings and Finches, feed their young largely on an insectivorous diet. The young Cuckoo would in almost every case be reared mainly on an insectivorous diet by its foster-parents, and when once it was launched out into the world, and dependent on 224 THE ZOOLOGIST. its own exertions for a food-supply, it would doubtless adopt similar habits of feeding. But if it is the difference in the food-supply that causes the Cuckoos to lay eggs of varied types, I would ask Dr. Rey to explain why the Common Guillemot lays eggs of such wonderful variety ? The food of one Guillemot at any rate does not differ from that of another Guillemot. I would ask the same question, too, with regard to the eggs of the Tree Pipit, a species whose eggs show a very great amount of variation. —KH. W. H. Buaae (Cheadle, Staffs). aa, Colour of the Bill of the Grey Lag-Goose.—-At a recent meeting of the British Ornithologists’ Club, Mr. Caton Haigh asked me what was the colour of the bill of a Grey Lag-Goose (Anser cinereus). I answered, as probably many other persons interested in ornithology would have done, flesh-colour. Now, this last winter I have had opportunities for examining twenty freshly killed Grey Lag-Geese, and in no single instance was the bill flesh-colour. All the ornithological works that I have been able to refer to give the colour as flesh-colour, with the exception of Mr. F. O. Morris. I have looked it up in Seebohm’s ‘ British Birds,’ Yarrell, Mr. Howard Saunders’s ‘ Manual,’ Prof. Newton’s ‘ Dictionary,’ Col. Irby’s ‘ List,’ &c., with the same result. All the Geese that I examined were killed by me in March, and I took the trouble of catching some wing-broken birds alive so that the colour should have no opportunity of fading. Each bird had a lemon-coloured bill, almost pale orange, with a narrow flesh- coloured line down the centre, and a white nail. Can the explanation be that this is the colour only at this time of year, or that all these authors have taken the colour from the skins? for after the Geese had been dead some days the colour became more as they state. I shall be very glad to hear the opinion of naturalists or sportsmen, who may have had chances of examining freshly killed specimens, as to the colour of the bill they have found, and at what season of the year they have made their observations. The weight of the birds killed varied between 63 lb. and 9 lbs., so that it is probable that I examined both old and young birds.—H. LeyBorneE Popuam (21, Ryder Street, London, S.W.). [Macgillivray described the bill of this bird as “ yellowish orange, with the unguis white or bluish grey.”— Ep. Russian Partridges.—I recently saw, in the shop of a local game- dealer, some Russian Partridges with black horseshoes on their breasts. I should be glad to know whether these birds come from any particular district, as most of the Partridges sold as Russian that I have previously noticed have little to distinguish them from English birds.—R. H. Rams- BOTHAM (Shrewsbury). NOTES AND QUERIES. 225 Heavy Death-rate of Lapwings.—The month of March, 1899, has been notable for having—at least here—the most severe snowstorm which has been experienced for well over half a century. The result is that considerable disturbance has been caused in the ordinary habits of our birds. The occasion has been conspicuously brought to notice by the many Lapwings (Vanellus vulgaris) which have been starved to death. Twenty were seen dead here within a few yards of each other. Of course they rushed towards marshes and water sides for food and shelter; but they seem to have succumbed to the severity of the frosts, as they could have easily obtained sufficient food to keep them alive, the ground being quite fresh about the damp places where they find food in cases of ordinary ‘* Lapwing storms,” as they are locally called—z. e. storms occurring after the arrival of the Lapwings. Others could be seen in a very feeble condition, being apparently only capable of flying with great exertion. These birds were being threatened with extermination by the prevalence of assiduous egg-collecting, until measures were adopted to terminate it by a certain date of the year. There is no doubt that these birds have increased in numbers since, but this arctic visitation has clearly done much in limiting that increase. Lapwings seem to have little notion of impending storms, if we judge from the certainty by which a few bright days in early spring bring them to their summer resorts. But I may observe that before an ordinary spring snowfall they are in the habit of collecting in flocks, and apart from being led to any place where available food has a common attraction. There is no doubt that such a severe and protracted storm at the date mentioned must affect many birds seriously, and the question of the particular situation of our various migratory birds must be of value in comparing their instinctive powers to keep in their winter quarters until that season, in the strict sense, has passed away. The exact date of the equivalent here to the present stormy March is 1837, and before that a short April storm in 1813. A similar March storm occurred in 1812.— Wma. Witson (Alford, Aberdeen, N.B.). Nesting of the Common Snipe (Gallinago celestis) near London. — It may perhaps interest some of your readers to know that a nest of the above species, containing four eggs, was discovered on Expsom Common on the 17th of April. I have not heard of the nest of the Snipe from this locality for the last five years, and believed that it had deserted this spot, which was formerly somewhat favoured by it both in winter and occa- sionally in the nesting season. —Jonn A. Bucxnityi (Hylands House, Epsom, Surrey). Songs of Birds affected by Weather (vide Zool. ante, p. 183).—No birds have sung here since I came up on the 8th of April, except one Wren, Zool, 4th ser. vol. III., May, 1899. Q 226 THE ZOOLOGIST. and to-day (April 19th) one Chaffinch. Why? Surely, surely the awful climatic conditions. The climatic conditions, I consider, may be easily imagined by those who live in more favoured climes by the simple state- ment, ‘‘ No birds singing”; to which I append the rider: Trout are not in condition when birds are not in song, in late seasons like this spring of 1899.—J. A. Harvie Brown (Drachlaw, Turriff, Aberdeen). REPTILIA. Notes on the Cape Monitor (Varanus albigularis).— The Cape Monitor seems to be fairly plentiful in the Transvaal, judging from this district. I have often come upon them basking in the hot sunshine on the bank of a “spruit ” (rivulet). When disturbed by a human intruder-they will leap into the water with a “flop.” On Aug. Ist, 1898, I found in a female twenty-four eggs of a dull white colour, not unlike snake’s eggs, and oval in form, about the same thickness as a fowl’s egg, but considerably longer. I have seen a couple in confinement for some time now. One was an old one (the largest I have seen here), and was quite ugly (presumably with age), the skin being rough, the colour very dirty-looking and faded. It has been like that ever since it has been in captivity, now some nine months. This one measured about four feet in length. It was very sluggish in its movements, and, when teased or even approached, would emit a sort of hissing sound, and lash out with its tail. I had a younger one also, not more than eighteen inches long. This little reptile was very “slippery ” and shy. When come upon suddenly in its favourite occupation of lying in the hot sun, it would dart in among the stones which formed its home like a ‘“ flash of lightning,” figuratively speaking. These specimens lived on raw beef, also Crabs and Frogs. Though they had a tank of water, they were found more often out of, than in it. -— ALwin C. HaaGner Ona Factory, Modderfontein, Transvaal). (All the Monitors which I found around Pretoria belonged to the species V. niloticus. Iam glad to learn that Mr. Haagner’s experience in keeping V. albigularis in captivity was more satisfactory than mine in reference to the first named species. — ED. ] NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. The Foundations of Zoology. By Wm. Keita Brooks, Ph.D., LL.D. New York and London: Macmillan & Co. Ltd. Tuts volume of the ‘‘ Columbia University Biological Series ” perhaps prompts, rather than explains, the question as to what are ‘‘ the foundations of Zoology.” Are they to be sought in the laboratory, or are they to be derived largely by purely mental pro- cesses? Or are physical demonstrations to be allied to, made altogether subservient, or treated only as secondary in position to. philosophical conceptions? This problem must occur to the reader as he studies in these pages the author’s views and com- mentaries on the writings of Huxley, Lamarck, Galton, Weis- mann, Darwin, Paley, Agassiz, and Berkeley. Prof. Brooks has a philosophical position of his own. He is clearly not Neo-Lamarckian, a term applied at present to so much American speculation; he may be better described as Anti- Lamarckian. Heis not a Pyrrhonist, though on many questions he gives the verdict only of “not proven.’”’ Perhaps an extract may give a better clue to the foundation on which he rears a philosophy which is more critical than affirmative, and vibrates between the idealistic and materialistic conceptions. ‘‘I am not able to answer the question whether, in ultimate analysis, the principles of science are physical or metaphysical. I know nothing about things ultimate. I do not know what the relation between mind and matter is. I do not know whether the distinction between ‘things perceived by sense’ and ‘relations apprehended by the mind’ is founded in nature or not; but I am sure that natural knowledge is useful to me, that it is pleasant, and profitable, and instructive; and I must ask whether all this does not show that nature is intended ?” The main issue is seemingly whether these questions are biological or metaphysical; or whether, appertaining to both Q 2 228 THE ZOOLOGIST. realms, they can or should be separated? Is it a fact, as Prof. Brooks believes, that there is a partial failure of training in bio- logical laboratories to make naturalists of the students; and is the explanation of that failure ‘‘ the belief that our biology (the biology of the present day, and not that of the unknown future) ends with the study of the structure and functions of the physical basis—the belief that biology is ‘nothing but’ the discovery of its physical and chemical properties”? It is at least probable that we have also naturalists who are not philosophers, and philosophers who are not naturalists. Zoology to-day is a science of so wide and exhaustive a nature, that its student may indeed form philosophical conclusions, while having no time for the wide reading and reflection necessary to the acquisition of a mental competency. Aristotle’s knowledge of zoology was small indeed compared with what may readily be acquired at the present day, but the position is reversed when his philosophical method is compared with modern speculative gym- nastics. This book may be well commended to the perusal of those who love debatable matters, and who seek to tread the labyrinth of biological speculation. It is a good, but not altogether an easy book to read. It is not assertive, but rather argumentative; it often quotes only to question, and frequently details a proposition to show its weakness. Sometimes we ponder over such a conclusion as the following :—‘ Biology is not aclosed science, and Darwin’s view of the matter is not proved—possibly is not provable; but its great value is in the proof that there is no shadow of evidence for any other view.” Does not this constitute Herbert Spencer's canon of truth—or proof—by the inconceivableness of the con- trary ? The great importance of these works is that they do not entreat assent, but demand consideration; their mission is not so much to convince as to promote thought :— Scientific men who are not zoologists are fond of telling us science has nothing to do with the Why ? and is concerned only with the How? but, in zoology, it is often easy to discover why an action is performed, while we are very ignorant of the structural conditions under which it takes place.” NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. 229 The Penycuik Experiments. By J. C. Ewart, M.D., F.R.S., &c. Adam & Charles Black. Tue title of this book may sound a little outs to some bio- logists to-day, but cannot be misunderstood in the course of a few years, when the breeding experiments of Prof. Ewart will be more generally known to zoological science. Our readers will remember a paper “On Zebra-Horse Hybrids,” which appeared in these pages last year, and which in the ‘Penycuik Experi- ments’ is reproduced. Penycuik is the Midlothian abode of Prof. Ewart, who has now for some years followed the breeding investigations that so long occupied Darwin; and though to the general public these are better known as the Zebra hybrid experiments, much valuable work has been done with Pigeons, Fowls, Dogs, and Rabbits. The result, as might be expected, leads to another nail in the coffin of our old fetish ‘‘ species,”’ and the dogma as to its immutability. ‘‘ Among plants, hybrids are sometimes quite fertile; while some crosses are quite, or almost, sterile. There is no hard and fast line between species and varieties, and hence there can be no fundamental difference between a hybrid and a cross, nor yet any a@ priort reason why any given hybrid should be sterile, or any given cross fertile. It is no longer possible to contend that species were originally endowed with mutual sterility, by way of preventing the con- fusion that would result from free interbreeding.” Prof. Ewart recognizes three distinct types of Zebras :— Equus grevyi, EL. zebra, and EL. burchelli, which, ignoring the now generally considered extinct EH. quagga, 1s in agreement with the views of Mr. Pocock (cf. Zool. 1897, p. 380). He has bred nine Zebra hybrids by crossing mares of various sizes (from 11 to 15 hands) and breeds with his Zebra stallion, and possesses also three hybrids out of Zebra mares, one sired by a donkey, the other two by Ponies. The importance of these experiments is clearly seen by the separate considerations and discussions on such interesting biological problems or suggestions as-——Rever- sion, Prepotency and Inbreeding, Telegony, Saturation, and Sterility; while the conclusion is reached that “there is ob- viously no real difference between cross-fertilization and inter- crossing. Whether we interbreed or intercross, engage in ‘line’ 230 THE ZOOLOGIST. breeding or ‘cross’ breeding, we are making use of cross- fertilization. Further, I may add, the difference between inter- crossing and hybridizing is one of degree, not of kind.” This book is beautifully illustrated, characteris eat bound, and, unfortunately, unprovided with an index. Wild Animals I have Known. By Ernest SETON THompsoNn. New York City: C. Scribner’s Sons. Mr. THompson is the Carlyle of the animal world outside man: he sees the Zingis Khan, the Attila, the Napoleon among his Wolves, the Rachel among his Foxes, the bandit chief leading his Dogs. ‘‘ What satisfaction would be derived from a ten-page sketch of the habits and customs of Man? How much more profitable it would be to devote that space to the life of some one great man. This is the principle I have endeavoured to apply to my animals.’’ Thus we have a few vivid and brilliant sketches of animal life which we should unhesitantly describe as a new departure in fiction, were we not warned in a ‘‘ Note to the Reader,” “these stories are true.” We are not led to the sceptical position by any unreality of the narrative, but rather marvel at the psychological sympathy with, and apprehension of, ideas and conceptions which are so commonly described as belonging to the instincts of brutes. The story of the King-wolf Lobo, who remains unconquered by his many justly-incensed enemies, and who by his cunning, or intellect, defies all their stratagems, till the death of his loved bitch Blanca renders him reckless, and proves his undoing, is only another story of the rise and fall of the great and much-admired man-wolf amongst ourselves. The Dog Bingo that must go wolfing, but comes home to die; the Fox Vix, courageous to frenzy on behalf of her young, are amongst some of the strongest characters of this more than interesting book. We are often warned against. ascribing our own mental processes to other animals, and thus forming erroneous conclusions as to their cognitions and psycho- logy. Do we not rather greatly err on the other side? Is it not more reasonable to argue that we have indeed passed on, but that in leaving them behind we have not altogether severed our NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. 231 common cognitions? The perusal of this book, with its altogether charming illustrations, must tend to lead to a better under- standing. One remark expresses the keystone to much modern speculation: ‘‘ No wild animal dies of old age. Its life has soon or late a tragic end. It is only a question of a long it can hold out against its foes.” Report of Observations of Injurious Insects and Common Farm Pests during the years 1897 and 1898. By ExEeanor A. Ormerop, F.R.Met.Soc., &. Two Parts. Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent & Co., Limited. SINCE we noticed the Report for 1896, two more of these annual contributions to economic entomology have appeared. They are written with the same care and thoroughness as dis- tinguished their predecessors, and exhibit the same voluntary and enthusiastic devotion to the study which is likely, in a material sense, to reward readers and students rather than authoress. ‘I'wo welcome announcements are made. A general: index to the long series of reports which have now been pub- lished—twenty-two in all—will shortly be issued; and Miss Ormerod has now secured the co-operation of Mr. Robert Newstead, of the Grosvenor Museum, Chester, whose power of microscopic observation and delineation, with a special knowledge of the Coccide, must prove of a helpful character. The work of Miss Ormerod is not confined to the publication of these Reports, but is also engaged in the management of what may be called a private consulting economic bureau on insect pests and their depredations. In 1897, we read that the corre- spondence “amounted approximately to about three thousand letters received’’; and as these may be considered as mostly in the nature of enquiries, this scientific eniererise pursued privately by one lady is probably unique. The Forest Fly (Hippobosca equina), the pernicious Horse pest, whose presence up to 1895 was considered in this country to be wholly confined to the New Forest or its vicinity, has now been only too clearly demonstrated to have established itself in the south of South Wales. Hay imported from South America contains very frequently specimens of the Migratory Locust 232 THE ZOOLOGIST. (Acridium (Schistocerca) paranense); in one case the average was a Locust to a pound of the Alfalfa (Lucerne) hay which was landed from Buenos Ayres; in another instance there were no fewer than two hundred specimens in one truss. Such food, it need scarcely be pointed out, is at least highly suspect for Horses. We might multiply extracts to show that these reports are of the first interest to agriculturists, farmers, and rearers of stock, whilst to the naturalist and entomologist they embody a series of faithful life-histories. A Text-Book of Agricultural Zoology. By Frrp. V. THEOBALD, M.A., &&. Wm. Blackwood & Sons. Nor only the farmer and the agriculturist, but also that numerous class whose urban prosperity permits rural residence and pursuits, frequently seek—and sometimes vainly—for some authentic information respecting the animal friends and foes with whom they are brought in contact. As a rule, farmers are not zoologists, nor are all country residents naturalists, conse- quently the few books which now exist on the subject—and we must not overlook Miss Ormerod’s excellent contributions—may be well supplemented. Mr. Theobald’s profusely illustrated volume is a compilation which contains much scientific matter over and above animal biography and narrative. It grapples largely with modern animal classification, detailing some anatomy, but more physiology. And as the book is likely to fall into the hands of those who have received no particular biological instruction, it should serve a good purpose. To such readers it is most opportune to show that zoology and botany are only divorced sections of natural history, not necessarily distinct sciences. When Mr. Theobald discusses animals and plants, he is forced to acknowledge :—‘“‘In fact, there is no hard-and-fast line to be drawn between these two organic groups. Such lowly creatures as Volvox are treated by botanists as plants, whilst. the zoologist includes them in the Protozoa.”’ Organic nature lends herself to the systematiser; or she could neither be studied nor understood, but she still remains one and indivisible. A good word is said for the usefulness of those furred and NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. 238 feathered creatures which the gamekeepers have classed under the section *‘ vermin,’ and have sentenced to extermination. It is, however, probable that those worthy and energetic men are not likely to read these pages, or to agree with them if they did. ‘‘'The prevention of vermiceous diseases”’ is the subject matter of Appendix I. In some respects, in perusing this section, we seem to be again reading some of the modern injunctions for preventing the spread of phthisis among ourselves. Diseases, “such as husk, are spread by the embryos being brought up in the mucus from the air-passages; these germs are scattered about upon the ground, and thus sow the seeds for numbers of other lambs and sheep to obtain. When that spasmodic cough so characteristic of ‘hoose’ is heard, it is surely advisable to remove the animal, and so prevent it from contaminating the ground.” : 234 THE. ZOOLOGIST. EDILORIAL GLEANINGS. Proressorn OTHNIEL CHARLES Marsu, of Yale University, died at New Haven, March 18th, in the sixty-eighth year of his:age. ,He was born at’ Lockport, New York, in 1831,-and was graduated at Yale in 1860. He> subsequently -studied several years under leading specialists in Europe, returning to New Haven in 1866, where he has since occupied the chair of Paleontology. He has long been recognized throughout the world as one of the leading authorities in vertebrate paleontology. His explorations in various parts of the West for fossil vertebrates began in 1868, and in sub- sequent years he amassed the immense collections which have been so long’ famous. The results of his investigations have been published in a long series of papers and memoirs, numbering nearly three hundred titles, covering a period of more than twenty-five years. His unrivalled collec- tions of fossils, as yet only partly worked up, he presented to Yale Uni- versity, with a considerable endowment for carrying on and publishing the results of further investigation of this great mass of material. Prof. Marsh is well known to ornithologists for his numerous publications on fossil North American birds, including his great quarto memoir ‘ Odontornithes : a Monograph of the Extinct Toothed Birds of North America,’ published in 1880. Probably five-sixths of the known extinct North American birds have been described by Prof. Marsh. His scientific work brought him many honours both at home and abroad. In 1878 he was chosen President of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and from 1883 to 1896 he was President of the National Academy of Sciences (The * Auk’). WE regret to announce the death of Joseph Wolf, eulogized by Land- seer himself as ‘‘ without exception the best all-round animal painter that ever lived.” Many obituary notices have appeared in our current press, but a particularly full and excellent résumé of his life’s work has appeared in the ‘ Field,’ from which we extract the following :— ‘Born at Moerz, near Coblenz, in 1820, the son of a farmer, his powers of observation and delineation of animal life were made manifest at an early age, and his talent as a draughtsman soon obtained employment for him. EDITORIAL GLEANINGS. 235 “The first work which brought the artist’s name prominently before the scientific world was Riippell’s ‘ Systematische Uebersicht der Vogel Nordost Afrikas,’ published in 1845, in which some fifty African birds are depicted in attitudes which contrast strongly with the stiff and unnatural positions in which previous artists were wont to portray their subjects. We look upon these illustrations as instituting the renaissance period in ornithological drawing. In 1850 appeared Temminck.and Schlegel’s quarto volumes on the fauna of Japan, which, with Wolf’s coloured plates, still constitute one of the best illustrated works on natural history. Quickly following this came Schlegel’s grand ‘ Traité de Fauconnerie,’ in folio, with life-size portraits by Wolf of all the Hawks employed by falconers. Each one of these is a study which deserves attention. “The late Mr. G. R. Gray’s standard work, in three volumes quarto, on the ‘ Genera of Birds,’ a copy of which cannot now be obtained under £30, was partly illustrated by Joseph Wolf, in consequence of the accept- ance of a foreign appointment by the late Mr. Mitchell, the former secretary of the Zoological Society, who had been working at it jointly with Gray, ‘‘ Those who are familiar with the magnificent folio works of Gould.on the ‘ Birds of Asia’ and the ‘ Birds of Great Britain’ will recognize in many of the life-like coloured plates the handiwork and talent of Joseph Wolf; while the same remark will apply to Elliot’s grand volumes, also in. folio, on the Pheasants, Birds of Paradise, the Birds of North America, and the Felide or Cat family. “More than half a century ago the Zoological Society of London, recognizing Wolf's extraordinary talent in depicting animal life, secured his services to illustrate their periodical publications, and from that time forward the ‘ Proceedings’ and ‘ Transactions’ of the Society have teemed with the life-like productions of his pencil. Visitors to the picture gallery over the reptile house at the Zoological Gardens can scarcely fail to have been struck with his remarkable ‘ Zoological Sketches,’ which were produced under the auspices of the Society, and there adorn the walls. In the numerous coloured plates which have illustrated the ‘Ibis’ from the com- mencement of that quarterly journal of ornithology in 1859, we have another example of the artist’s wondrous skill in the delineation of birds. “‘We may pass over the many large works, both in oils and water- colour, which have passed from the easel to the private cabinets of those who know well how to appreciate them, because, although we have had the privilege of seeing many of them, the public have had no opportunity, as. with the exhibited works of other artists, to judge of their merits. We may remind our readers, however, that numerous works on sport and natural history have been entirely illustrated by Joseph Wolf. Of these we may name Anderson's ‘Lake Ngami,’ Livingstone’s ‘ Missionary 236 THE ZOOLOGIST. Travels,’ Atkinson’s ‘ Amoor-land,’ Emerson Tennent’s ‘ Ceylon,’ and the same author’s ‘ Wild Elephant,’ Baldwin’s ‘ African Hunting,’ Col. Walter Campbell’s ‘Indian Journal,’ Bates’s ‘ Naturalist on the Amazon,’ and Wallace’s ‘ Malay Archipelago’; while many beautiful full-page plates from his pencil adorn the works of Lewis Lloyd, A. E. Knox, Henry Stevenson, Philip Gosse, Canon Tristram, Professor Newton, and the Duke of Argyll. Nor should we omit to notice his ‘ Life and Habits of Wild Animals,’ which appeared in 1874, illustrated from his designs, engraved by Whymper, with descriptive letterpress by D. G. Elliot.” Mr. J. AntHuR THomson, Extramural Lecturer on Zoology in Edin- burgh, has been appointed to succeed the late Prof. Alleyne Nicholson as Regius Professor of Natural History in the University of Aberdeen. Our contributor Mr. F. Coburn has recently written, in the ‘ Birming- ham Daily Post,’ on the subject of the Public Natural History Collection in Birmingham, which included, or rather consisted of, the collection of speci- mens formed by the late Dr. Sands Cox. ‘ The loss the city has sustained through not possessing a properly appointed natural history museum, pre- sided over by a competent curator, at the time when this great collection was handed over to the custody of our authorities, is absolutely irreparable, and the fate which has befallen the bulk of that collection forms one of the strongest arguments which could be advanced for the establishment of a museum, for there are still a few gems left in that collection which ought to be saved. ‘This collection must have cost its founder almost a fabulous sum of money, for it was peculiarly rich in forms which were most difficult to procure in those days. The collection of British birds was “a very fair one, but its greatest .value lay in the African, Indian, Australian, New Zealand, and New Guinea forms, some of which are now totally extinct, while others are on the verge of extermination.” Amongst its present treasures is the Nestor productus, or Phillip Island Parrot. This “is one of the greatest treasures which any museum in the world can hope to possess, as it is now generally admitted to be totally extinct ; and, according to Professor Newton (‘ Dictionary of Birds,’ p. 224), only about twelve skins, exclusive of the Birmingham specimen, are known to exist in the world. Thus it becomes a far greater rarity than even the Great Auk, a specimen of which was recently purchased by the Edinburgh Museum for, I think, 350 guineas, this being considered a very low figure. There are over sixty skins of the Great Auk known to exist, against about a dozen of Nestor productus. Its great value, therefore, is apparent at EDITORIAL GLEANINGS. 237 once. I should say that at a very modest estimate the skin is worth at least 600 guineas. There are a good many who, I have no doubt, would put it down at 1000 guineas. Here then is a veritable gem, the possession of which alone ought to act as a powerful lever in inducing the Council to provide a proper museum in which to house it. It is, I believe, now locked up in an iron safe in the possession of Mr. Whitworth Wallis.” In this collection there appears to have been a most formidable weeding-out process. In the ‘Zambesi Mission Record,’ a Catholic publication, we notice an interesting article by Father O’Neil, S.J., on “ Some interesting Beetles,”’ as observed in South Africa. ‘‘ Tockies’ are large heteromerous beetles, generally black or brown in colour. They have been called ‘ Tockies’ in consequence of a habit they have of knocking loudly on the ground to attract their mates. Let us watch one of these insects walking about in search of a partner. It advances a few paces, then stops, and, raising a rather unwieldly body on its long legs, gives four or five rapid knocks in succession. ‘Then there is a pause, a further advance, and the knocking is repeated. After a bit answering knocks are heard, and our Tocky sets to work knocking most vigorously to aid in the determination of his where- abouts. As might be expected, the Tockies have given rise to many a ghost story. Though they walk about a good deal during the daytime, they are especially active at night; and, when doors are left open after dark, will frequently enter the bedrooms. Then in the dead of the night some unfortunate individual is awakened by a loud knock, knock, knock. If he be cf a nervous. disposition, and unfamiliar with our rapping friends, the result can be imagined. I know a pious gentleman who one night was firmly persuaded that one of the holy souls had come knocking for prayers. Here in Dunbrody the Tockies are often very troublesome, owing to the fact that our ceilings consist of thin laths, which make glorious sounding boards. One particular kind of Tocky will insist upon climbing up the walls of the house, and hammering away overhead at night time. More than one member of the community, myself among the number, have been kept awake during the greater part of the night by an almost uninterrupted tattoo. The noise the beetle makes when exercising itself on these laths is just like a loud knocking at a door. Not long ago one of them started rapping overhead about supper time. ‘Come in,’ cried the reverend father, whose room adjoins mine. ‘ Knock, knock, knock,’ replied the Tocky. ‘Come in,’ shouted his reverence this time. My laughter un- fortunately put a stop to the fun. I must not dismiss the Tockies with- out alluding to their omnivorous quality. Though it generally feeds on plants of one kind or another, the beetle seems to be capable of devouring 238 THE ZOOLOGIST. almost anything. It is quite common to see one of them dining off a departed brother.”*) | | eee _ We have received the Annual Report of the Millport Marine Biological Station for 1898:—‘‘ The Committee are now in a position to give an account of the first year of the actual working of the Station. Under these circumstances they consider the Report of 1898 to be of great importance, seeing that it is the first which provides data from actual experience by means of which a forecast of the future success of the Station may. with some degree of certainty be.drawn. They feel that they have every reason to be satisfied with the results of this crucial year. They can report good progress, not only, in regard to the numbers who visited the Robertson Museum, and to the degree in which the facilities afforded by the Laboratory were utilized by scientific workers, but also in regard to the measure of public support accorded to the scheme. From the Curator’s Report it will be seen that there were over eight thousand visitors to the Nobertson Museum during the past year, and that tables in the Laboratory were utilized for terms varying from a week to a month on thirty-eight different occasions. During the past year many additions have been made to the Station, especially in the Laboratory Department, where good sets of reagents, dissecting-troughs, and vessels have been provided.